Spoiled
by Ranran.Handstand
Summary: "She's been making all this talk about leaving, but I know better than her. I know she wouldn't survive a day out there. I'm too...terrified to see her fall to the same fate as my wife. It's not like she could go by herself. Unless...you'll go with her?"
1. Chapter 1

*See author's homepage before reading

My eyes roamed fondly over the grassy hills of Ordon, its mountainous slopes speckled with the summer's myriad of bright blossoms. It was getting on in the season; the leaves were just beginning to change color, vibrant reds and brilliant yellows illuminated the once green trees surrounding the town. The slight pinch of a chill nipped at the air. Fall fruits were coming in nicely; ripe apples and grapes scattered the ground near the corral, making tasty treats for our livestock.

I smiled warmly to myself. Days like this reminded me that the quaint little village I called home was actually very busy and bustling. A community that thrived almost purely on trade and voluntary service, where money was of no concern and we could rely on one another for a helping hand.

I opened my eyes, a hand to my forehead, and gazed up at the cloudless sky. The sun hovered lazily above me, so I guessed it was about noon. I sucked in a deep breath through my nose and linked my fingers behind my head, the warm sunlight cascading down onto my face. It felt nice and I sighed as I began to get lost in the moment.

The goats' neurotic bleating caught my attention. I opened my eyes, my hands still tucked behind my head and I checked on the livestock. My reminiscing was distracting me from Epona, who snorted and tapped her hoofs on the ground in protest. I smiled gently, and stroked her creamy mane, running a soothing hand down the length of her coat. With a pat on her hip, I came around to her front and placed my forehead on her muzzle. She lovingly exhaled, tossing my earthy blonde hair about as I grinned. I stroked her cheek lightly and turned my focus back to the goats. With my arms crossed, I watched them canter back and forth in a group around the pasture with a contented smile on my face.

Ordon goats were famous for their cheese, and so our village's reputation and prime income was left up to Fado, who took tremendous care to keep the herd happy. "Happy goats give happy milk," he always said. I chuckled to myself and ran a calloused hand through my messy hair to smooth it, only to have Epona wrap her lips around a lock and give it a yank to attract my attention. Chuckling brightly, I tugged the saddle and hopped up, preparing to take another trot around the corral.

Just before we took off, a startling and desperate roar from the gate stopped us.

"Link!"

It was Bo, sprinting into the pasture as fast as his legs could carry him.

Epona reared a bit in surprise and I gave her reins a tug, petting her ear and down her cheek to help calm her. She eyed Bo's gargantuan figure warily as he sprinted toward us.

He skidded to a stop and, between breathy gasps, continued in staccato, "It's Ilia. Crazy. Breaking things. Screaming. Help." I nodded, my expression turning serious, and jerked Epona's reins. We jumped the fence, not bothering to wait for Bo, and hurriedly made our way to Ilia. A hundred thousand thoughts raced through my brain: Was she hurt? Was she upset? If so, what about? How? What happened?

I urged the mare to gallop faster, her hoof beats becoming frantic. My heartbeat did the same.

Skittering to a halt in front of the Mayor's house, I leaped off the saddle and dashed for the door. Rushing up the stairs, I threw my back against the wall, trying in vain to peek in the windows. It was possible she was being attacked. In a slight panic and with little time to waste I shoved the door open, only to be greeted by a flying teapot, which exploded on impact with my forehead. Stumbling backwards, I dizzily caught myself on a table and dived to the ground at a moment's notice, narrowly avoiding a second round. I quickly clawed my way behind the overturned table and frantically waved my arms in the air to stop the barrage of Ilia's impulsive arsenal.

"What does he think he's doing?" she screamed in a rage, "Where does he get off?" Another crash rattled the house as a shelf of dishes came tumbling to the floor.

I winced and ducked behind the table again. With a shoddy, makeshift plan, I carefully tip-toed behind a bookshelf to her left, flanking her, and pounced, grabbing her about the arms and pinning her to my body.

She struggled furiously and screamed at me, "Let me go! My father needs to know what he's doing is wrong!" A bite to my forearm almost made me drop her into a pile of broken glass.

I grimaced and sighed heavily as I hauled her flailing body off to a safer spot.

"Let me go right now!" She swung a stray fist and knocked me in the bridge of my nose.

That one got me; I saw stars and my grip loosened on the young girl. The second she felt my grasp on her slip, she promptly scrambled to the sofa and armed herself with a hearth poker. I held my nose protectively and, with my free hand, I frantically gestured "stop".

With a look of half confusion and half fury, it finally registered who I was, "Oh, Link! It's you!" Ilia exclaimed, lowering her weapon. She must've noticed the blood dribbling from beneath my hand, because a gasp escaped her lips, "Did I hit you?" Dropping the iron rod, she hopped over the sofa and gently brushed my nose with her fingertips.

I winced. Blushing a little in embarrassment, I knew I must've looked a little silly with blood all over my face from getting punched by a girl.

She quickly withdrew her hand and fumbled with her fingers.

"I'm sorry, Link. It's just-" she began halfheartedly. She cautiously glanced up at me through her eyelashes and shuddered, "It's just my father. I'm sure he told you," she groused, beckoning me to the toilet.

I shook my head curiously, a hand still shielding my possibly broken nose.

"Oh really?" She spat furiously, grabbing me by the hair and shoving my head into a basin of icy water. My eyes shot wide open and a few bubbles escaped my nostrils as I blubbed for help. It tasted old, like it had been brought in early this morning. That would explain why it was freezing cold.

"It's just like him to keep it a secret from the rest of the town," She complained, violently snatching a cloth from the cupboard. She shoved it in the washbowl and jerked my head back out, again, by my hair. Fiercely scrubbing my face, Ilia continued her tirade as I feebly batted at her hands.

"He probably doesn't want everyone to know what a terrible father he is!" She shouted out the open door, angrily slamming my face back into the water. "I mean, seriously! Who in their right mind would bestow that kind of fate on someone they're _supposed_ to love?"

I nervously watched the cloth shoot into the basin, narrowly missing my injured nose.

With her clutching my head, she ranted on, holding my face in the washbowl, under water. It must've been a full minute before I started to completely lose faith that she remembered I was there. Gently tapping her hand, I thought it might be a good idea to let her know she was drowning me.

"Oh Gods!" She cried, releasing me like a hot pan.

I lugged my heavy head out of the pail with a huge drawn out gasp, my hair stuck to my face and my clothes soaked to the seam. I sputtered for a moment, gulping down as much air as I could fit in my lungs before shaking my head like a dog, droplets flying every which way.

Ilia scoffed and gestured irritably to her tunic.

I must've gotten her wet, but I couldn't really see through the curtain blocking my view. I smiled like a fool and combed it back with my fingers.

She snorted in disgust and stomped to the cupboard again, snapping up another towel and drying off. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she sulked her way to the closet, fetching a broom to clean up the disaster area that was once the front room.

I jokingly rolled my eyes and toweled off my head, dumping the basin out the window and mopping up the mess on the floor. Once it was done, I approached Ilia in the den, who was mindlessly sweeping an already clean spot. Smiling, I leaned far to the right, looking up at her beneath her hanging hair.

She huffed stubbornly and shoved me away by my injured nose, "You're always smiling like an idiot, Link. You need to view the world a little bit more realistically."

I grunted and rubbed it gingerly, rolling my eyes again, thinking she was one to talk.

Ilia turned her back to me and muttered, "I suppose I should tell you what happened."

Peeking over her shoulder, she watched me curiously, struggling to keep her fight with her father to herself. It wasn't so much that she didn't want to tell me what happened, because she did, it was that she had to face that she _had seriously _overreacted.

I eyed her puzzlingly, my hands firmly crossed over my chest. I was silently demanding a truthful answer, and had a good track record with getting them out of her.

She jerked her attention forward again, her lip trembling and her fists clenched. She eventually broke, her eyes brimming with frustrated tears, "My father is making me marry a suitor!"

My eyes widened and I carefully searched for the appropriate reaction. What did I feel? Confusion and shock, beyond anything else. I sympathized with Ilia for once; no one should be forced to marry someone they didn't love. I raised my brows in apology and placed a heavy hand on her shoulder, coaxing her to turn around. She slowly turned, and when her eyes met mine, I flashed a determined smile to show her there was hope.

She looked almost giddy for a moment.

"Are you going to talk to my father?" Ilia asked, wiping the runaway tears from her cheek.

My hand relaxed. A look of guilt spread over my face. Is that what she wanted? Could I change Bo's mind? I knew he was only interested in what was best for her, and it didn't seem fair for me to get involved with Ilia's marriage. I didn't have much of a say.

I shrugged uncomfortably and released her. I honestly didn't know if I could help her, and on top of that I didn't really feel like doing Ilia any favors. She wasn't exactly gracious about these kinds of things.

"Do you understand the kind of predicament I'm in?" She continued, urgently, her fists tightly balling up.

I reluctantly nodded, placing my fists on my hips and stared at the floor, lost in thought. As my gaze flitted about the room, it finally met Ilia's, which was desperate for help. I sighed wistfully. It wasn't my place to butt into family affairs, but this didn't seem right, even to Ilia. I folded my arms over my chest and chewed my lip.

"I suppose it doesn't matter to you. You couldn't help me even if you wanted to." She turned her back to me, her arms falling loosely to her sides and her shoulders dropping in defeat.

I roughly prodded her in the back and eyed her, my arms firmly crossed over my chest, my brow cocked provocatively. Of course I cared what happened to her. Just like anyone else in this village, I wanted her to be happy. She turned to face me and caved a little.

"What I really want," she began, "is to travel." Her eyes got starry for a moment, then as quickly as it came, it was gone. She snatched up the broom and began sweeping the mess again, trying to rid herself of any vulnerability.

I poked her again.

"What?" She snapped.

Gesturing for her to continue, I took a seat on the corner of the sofa and waited for an explanation. Tamping her foot, she made it clear she refused to utter another peep. To her, it wasn't my business, I suppose. I smiled warmly, hoping to pick her brain a bit more; it was important that I know why she was so against the marriage, if she really wanted me to talk to her father.

She fiddled with the broom, her fingers nervously curling and uncurling around the handle. Finally, abandoning any attempt to shield her feelings from me, she quickly and almost incoherently blurted, "Well, I really want to see Hyrule. I've been stuck in this dinky village forever and I don't want to be tied down to this kind of life before I even get to see what else there is! And my father! What does he think he's doing? Forcing me to marry a suitor; marriage should be out of love, but he's insisting that I marry so I can lead Ordon when he's gone. I don't even _want _to be the new mayor; I'm not a leader and I'm definitely not interested. If I can get out of here, I'm never coming back." She finished, throwing down the broom and crossing her arms adamantly.

I sighed, blowing a raspberry and leaning back on the sofa, linking my fingers behind my head. I stared at the ceiling and contemplated the situation. It was kind of a lot to take in, considering I'd known Ilia her entire life and Bo my entire life. Bo was very uniform; he liked things done the right way, and emotions never got in the way, and very rarely did they count. Ilia, on the other hand, liked things done _her _way. Bo relied on his only child to pick up leading where he left off, and suitors were normally a good way to go about keeping the lineage clean. Unfortunately, Ilia was too willful to not only do what her father asks, but also, _marry _who her father asks. I scratched my head in bewilderment.

Finding it difficult to take sides, I settled with trying to convince Ilia's father otherwise; it might quiet the belligerence in them, if nothing else. Ilia obviously liked the idea of some change between her and her father, seeing as she seemed pretty keen on my talking to him about the marriage. My eyes narrowed and I smiled. She watched me carefully, her eyes following me to the door.

"Link, what are you up to?" she interrogated.

I waved her off, stepped out the door and shut it behind me. Leaving her to clean up, I figured I had done enough to at least calm her down; nothing else was bound to be destroyed for at least a little while. I made my way toward Rusl's in search of Bo.

Luckily, when I got there Bo was just leaving, Uli standing on the steps holding her belly, a perpetually warm smile spread across her face. Her eyes popped open when she noticed me and shot me a smile. I smiled in kind and waved my hand.

Bo approached me, the slight hint of embarrassment on his face. He had been paying visits to the villagers and apologizing for the racket. When it occurred to me, I rolled my eyes.

"Link, thank Gods. Did you speak with Ilia?"

I nodded.

Bo sighed heavily, and with a little shame in his voice he said, "I wouldn't have done it if I didn't feel that I had to."

Shaking my head with soft sarcasm, I chuckled a bit, my fist to my lips to hide the smile.

"I know, I know. She's insane! My daughter, our soon-to-be-leader, at 23 is already insane. I'm sure you witnessed the tail end of her hissy fit?"

I chuckled.

He shrugged, "Of course, I'm a little embarrassed that she still acts the way she does. I guess you could say I've spoiled her," Bo said scratching his bald head.

I shrugged in kind, as to say, 'well, yeah, kind of.'

"Okay, I suppose you probably need to know a couple of things before believing what Ilia had to say." He said, making his way to the bridge.

As we stood over the tiny creek, Bo let out a sigh, one ripe with relief and age. It sounded well-needed. He clapped a hand on my shoulder, casting an enormous shadow below us. The rays of sunlight managed to find their way around our bodies and settled on the surface of the crystal clear water. Bo was shaking. In surprise, I dared a glance at him and he was evidently upset over the whole ordeal. It made sense that marrying off his only daughter to a stranger was taking a toll on him; while he wanted Ilia to be happy, he wanted the town taken care of at the same time. A difficult decision to make.

"Link, my boy," he began in a wise voice, "do you remember when Calista found you?"

I chuckled pitifully, shaking my head.

"Not well, huh? Well, when she found you, you were alone. Not much older than nine. You-you were out in Faron woods, wrapped in a wool blanket asleep at that old campsite. My wife," he glanced at me, swallowing a bit too hard, "Calista, brought you home. The look on her face was absolutely...adoring. She looked at you like you were her own child, even though she'd just met you."

A fond smile crossed my face; it was nice to hear about Calista every once in a while.

Bo cleared his throat loudly, "How-how long were you at that campsite again?"

I wiggled four fingers.

He chuckled, "Amazing. Four years before we found you."

He cleared his throat again, "The only reason I bring up Calista is because Ilia is becoming exactly the woman she was. More the woman Calista was." Bo trailed off, his voice cracking with pride.

"My daughter _must _take over when I'm too old to do it any longer. That's why she must marry, and soon!" He threw his fist down and stared off toward the falls.

"She's been making all this talk about leaving, but I know better than her. I know she wouldn't survive a day out there. I'm too... terrified to see her fall to the same fate as my wife."

I was a bit taken aback. I'd never seen Bo this passionate about anything since Calista. It had been years since she died, but it made sense that he was overly protective of his only daughter. Once he had calmed significantly, it was apparent that he was only suggesting the suitors to protect his daughter. If she married for practicality rather than love, she was much less likely to be hurt, and it kept her from leaving Ordon.

The old man shrugged in defeat, "It's not like she could go by herself."

Then, pow. Like a punch in the stomach, I had an idea. I excitedly grabbed Bo's arm and spun him around to look at me. I shook him and pointed at myself.

"What is it, Link?" He questioned, a little panicked.

Impatiently, I gestured to myself again, and pointed toward Ilia.

I saw it click, "You'll go with her?"

I nodded.

I watched him slowly put the pieces together, "So..." he began, "she would go to Castle Town... meet a man, get married and come back?"

Motioning that he basically had the right idea, I saw it click again.

His face got serious once again, "We should keep it secret that she must return."

I tapped the end of my nose, immediately regretting it.


	2. Chapter 2

*See author's homepage before reading

XxXxX

With a wily flit of his wrist, Link legged it out the door, slamming it hurriedly behind him. He was followed by a gust of wind and the lonely sound of his receding footsteps. There I stood, shattered glass and splinters of wood scattered the floor, a look of utter bewilderment plastered on my face and a very serious chip on my shoulder. Incredulously, I shifted my weight and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Did you seriously just leave me to clean up this whole mess _on my own_?" I yelled after him rhetorically. I stamped my foot, my white knuckled fists clenched taut at my sides and a scoff escaped my lips.

"Ugh! What a total jerk," I spat, snatching the broom off the floor. "I hope my father's not stupid enough to consider _him _as one of my suitors," I muttered, pushing the clutter around uselessly, "he'd be a terrible husband."

In a few angry strokes, I managed to clean up most of the mess. While I replaced the unbroken dishes and righted the upturned furniture, my thoughts returned to my father's grand idea from this afternoon.

"I really don't understand what my father was thinking. Suitors? I'm plenty marriageable," I said, fixing my already perfect hair in a mirror mounted on the wall. Absentmindedly, I mulled over the idea of who might be on the list of suitors and if I could even see myself married to any of them.

What first came to mind was a nice house with painted shutters that sat neatly on the peak of a hill somewhere in Castle Town. A rich husband rested with me on a porch swing, sipping tea and reading the herald while my two perfect children played happily in the lawn. Eyes closed, I smiled and cupped my hands together, whispering a breathy, "If only." The longer I thought of it, however, the further away my perfect future seemed. The imaginary life suddenly faded as it struck me; no painted shutters, no rich husband, no perfect children, all of that was swept away to the reality of housework and an army of misbehaved kids. The life that awaited me at the whim of my father was most certainly an unhappy one. My eyes shot open and I shuddered, "No way." I shook off the whole idea of a suitor and got back to work.

After I'd made a significant dent in the disaster that was once my living room, I headed into the washroom where, surprisingly, there was no mess. As I recalled, Link had cleaned it up after he destroyed it by shaking like a wet dog. I scoffed and snagged up the basin, replacing it on the shelf where Link _should have _put it.

Useless boy.

I drew a bath and pulled up a stool, resting my tired feet on the edge of the bronze-lipped tub. Recently, my father had plumbing installed in the town's homes; unfortunately, that left the entire village uprooted for months and it was never completed. I rolled my eyes at the thought of my humiliation in the weeks that followed. There had been enough work done so that toilets were rigged to flush and baths filled with cold water, but things like basins and sinks needed to be filled from another water source and then boiled. More of a pain than it was worth, in my opinion. Our slipper tub was made entirely of copper, a rarity in a small village like ours, but I proudly insisted upon it. If I was to suffer the awful chagrin of my father's half-witted plan, I was going to come out on the other side with a little more than I had going in. Eyes closed and arms folded over my chest, I nodded; it was fair as far as I was concerned.

Once the bath was full, I ignited the wood beneath it and waited for it to heat up, dipping my hands in and stirring the water about. My father was not a bumbling idiot, but sometimes it seemed like he needed something to busy himself besides the town, otherwise, mistakes were bound to be made. Unfortunately, he was a constant source of embarrassment on my part; his crazy "innovative" plans always seemed to get the both of us into a lot of trouble. Although he was the man I called my father, I sometimes thought we came from different worlds entirely.

I blew a raspberry, running my fingers through my ashy hair, and tested the water. "Perfect," I whispered and threw off my clothes, gingerly steeping myself in the steaming hot bath. As my bare back rested against the copper tub, I slipped into relaxation, breathing in the thick vapors that undulated from the water's surface. Finally, a soothing energy blanketed the room and I could feel the anger melt away. My father might have ruined my day, but he didn't ruin baths.

As the water soaked into my skin, I couldn't help but think about the suitors again. The possibilities, and impossibilities, ran through my mind, "Is there any chance I might actually fall in love with any of them? Very, very unlikely. Is there anyone my father might have in mind? No one I know. I'm positive of that. Any choice my father makes about my love life would be a bad one. He has _no idea _what I'd look for in a man, and no men in Ordon are my type."

The water sloshed as I propped my self up on my elbows, bumping the lip of the copper bath, "The only man even close to my age around here is... Link." I spat in disgust, a shudder running up my spine, "Not in a hundred years."

I had never thought of Link as a potential husband.

Ever.

He was not even to be _considered _as a suitor; he's so bothersome, always sticking his nose in other people's business and such. A busybody, and I had no time for busybodies. I rolled my eyes and shifted onto my back again, the heat from the low flame beneath me licking up the side of the bathtub and warming my skin. I smiled contentedly as I slipped deeper into the water. My brow furrowed as I continued.

"Link is like an annoying little brother that plays nice when everyone is looking so no one can see how annoying he is but me. If there was ever a chance for him to have the privilege of being _my _husband, it was gone the second my mother brought him home." I sighed and leaned my bare back against the copper tub. Link wasn't evil, he was just a goodie-two-shoes that I had dealt with for the last eighteen years and I didn't much feel like babysitting him anymore.

I blew another raspberry remembering how incompetent Link was when we were both young. I recalled a not-so-faint memory of Fado roping a goat and tossing the other end to Link, who just stared at it like an idiot. Of course the goat bolted, dragging Link all over the corral behind it. When Fado finally caught up to them, we'd found out that the rope had been wrapped around Link's arm. I also recalled that that day I'd let him borrow one of my brand new cotton smocks for just this occasion and when he returned it to me it was _caked _in mud. I was furious with him, as usual. My mother, who didn't understand at all, smiled. That much about my mother I have yet to figure out; she was much too nice to Link even though he was completely hopeless. I rolled my eyes; it was time to just forget about it all.

It didn't take long for the fire to die and the water to get cold, so it seemed high time that I be the adult and go work things out with my father, since he was so incapable of doing it himself. I stepped out of the now lukewarm bath, toweled off and went to my room.

As per usual, I was going to primp a little. I didn't have to do much, as my natural beauty shined more luminously than any other woman I'd ever known, but I was to be going about town, and I absolutely refused to look hapless in front of the villagers, especially knowing that they looked to me for fashionable guidance. I mean, to Ordonians, I appeared as royalty. My most expensive luxuries were sold in the most prestigious of shops in Castle Town, my fanciest soaps and shampoos were made from the biggest, greenest cacti in Gerudo, and my hairbrushes and combs made from the strongest ebony wood and most beautiful horse's hair in Kakariko Village. Ordon would be utterly lost without me. These backwater hicks couldn't catch on if style was a cold.

I sighed lovingly as I took a seat in front of my vanity, my cotton towel snugly wrapped around my chest, and reaching into the drawer, I recovered my ebony hairbrush. I always liked to take a few seconds to appreciate it; it was a piece of art in and of itself, beautifully carved dark wood, perfectly even white bristles, and it cost my father 600 rupees. It was one of the few gifts from him I truly loved. With a gleeful and girlish smile, I kissed it before running it through my hair.

After I had applied my daily dose of preening and cosmetics, I dug through my wardrobe for a suitable outfit for the day. It took a few minutes of searching, but I settled with a yellow sundress. I sauntered for the door and pulled my boots on over my stockings, they made a sort of crunching sound as I ground the sole into a bit of broken glass against the brick of the foyer.

OoOoO

As I moseyed around town, I visited the villagers one by one and apologized for the noise. Jaggle and Pergie exchanged odd looks when I excused my father's insanity. As did Uli and Rusl. I simply rolled my eyes; half the things I said probably made no sense to these yokels, as most of them butchered everyday language. Their sentences were always strewn with lisps and slurs. Ugh. Probably drunk, the lot of them.

I had no sooner seen Hanch and Sera than to find both my father and Link chatting on the bridge. Coming up from behind, I sighed loudly and crossed my arms, tapping my foot in annoyance. They turned in surprise and waved, looking rather suspicious.

"Why hello, Ilia. How are you feeling?" My father said, a bit startled.

I scoffed, "Perfect. Though, I must say, I never feel anything but." I nonchalantly tended to my nails, glancing at Link who had on his usual dopey smile. What was he up to?

"Well," my father began, clearing his throat, "I'm glad you caught up with us, Ilia my dear. I have something very important to discuss with you."

I noticed his wringing hands and cut him off with a wave of my hand, "I don't want to hear it, father. No amount of coercing will convince me otherwise-"

"This isn't about the suitors, Ilia, so relax a moment while I gather my thoughts."

I cocked a brow; my father _never _spoke to me that way. This must have been big. Incredulously, I kept quiet. I was a tad embarrassed after being scolded like a child in front of Link; though I didn't care what he thought in his own head, I cared what he might say to the rest of the village. I nearly laughed when it occurred to me that Link didn't speak. I relaxed and my shoulders fell a bit.

My father's thought processes showed on his face; he was torn somewhere between worry and doubt. Finally, however, he let out a heavy sigh, thick with defeat, "Allright, Ilia, you win," he began, his arms falling loosely at his sides, "you can go to Castle Town."

My eyes shot wide open and my jaw nearly unhinged from my face, "Castle Town, father? Really!" I jumped and threw my arms up in the air, danced a little jig and ran to my father, hugging and kissing him in my excitement. And I was worried about looking like a child no more than a minute ago. I felt my father beam against my cheek as I pushed my face against his in a thrilled embrace, but it didn't last.

The air about him got a bit distant and he held me at arms' length, "Ilia, there's something else," he said, looking suddenly exhausted and worried.

"What is it?" I asked, distrustfully.

He wrung his hands, "The only condition is that Link must accompany you."

My eyes went wide again, "Father!" I shouted, "There is _no _way I'm bringing this _buffoon _with me! I'm leaving to Castle Town without the company of your _lackey_."

My father jumped a bit and Link looked a little hurt.

Maybe 'buffoon' was a little harsh.

"Ilia, you must understand, I'm only doing what's best for you; you have no knowledge of what's outside Ordon. What happens if you get hurt? What happens if you get kidnapped? You wouldn't know what to do in any given situation on the outside."

"_Father!_" I insisted, "I'm no child! I'm 23 years old, and it's pathetic that I haven't so much as left Ordon!" I approached him with manipulative puppy dog eyes. Gently grabbing his hand, I said, "Father, you know I can look out for myself. I have to learn what the rest of Hyrule is like, or I could spend my whole life wondering what's out there."

His sandal clad feet shifted on the wooden bridge, kicking the pebbles into the creek. I could see him start to waver, unfortunately that quickly faded, "No Ilia, I can't let you win this time. If you're going to Castle Town, it's to meet a man, and you'll be going with Link."

I scoffed, throwing my hands up in defeat, "This is ridiculous, I can't believe twice in one day you've made decisions for my life that I'm not allowed to be involved in."

My father rubbed his eyes irritatedly, "I don't think you understand, dear. The road to Castle Town is _extremely _dangerous. Link knows the ins and outs of all of Hyrule and will be able to protect you," I glanced at Link, who bashfully picked at his palms.

Raising a brow, I asked, "Is this about my mother?"

My father's mouth gaped like a fish, then quickly snapped shut.

"I knew it!" I said, plowing my foot into the dirt, "Daddy, what happened to mother was her own mistake. I don't plan on going out of my way to help anyone. I want to go for me, and that's it. As long as I'm looking out for myself, I can't fail, I can't get hurt." I brushed my hand over his smooth head, "You have to relax, what little hair you have left is going to fall out."

He clapped a hand to his shiny bald head in abash.

Chuckling, I said, "I'm going to leave home someday and there's nothing you can do to protect me once I'm gone. You'll just have to trust that I can take care of myself." I smiled, and shrugged my shoulders.

"Ilia," he began with a heavy sigh, "I know you can take care of yourself, honey, but only as far as Ordon. I need you to understand how precious you are to me... I've already lost my wife," he clenched his huge fists tightly, fighting back the trembling in his throat, "and I'm not about to lose my only daughter to the same forces that killed the love of my life." I watched in a mixture of annoyance and worry as his eyes tightened and his crow's feet showed; he missed my mother. Still, after this many years, he missed her.

I rolled my eyes.

He excused himself, clearing his throat, "I simply want you to come back in one piece. I love you and worry about your safety. It's my job, please understand that." My father crossed his arms, turning to Link, who raised his eyebrows in assent, quietly twiddling his thumbs.

I sneered disdainfully, "How dare you two gang up on me, after all I've done for you." Staring at my feet, the betrayal settled on me like a fine layer of dust.

"You!" I jabbed my finger pointedly at my father, "You always dismiss me as a weakling, a child. And you!" I turned the tables to Link, "You act as though you're my family, like my mother or something. Let me tell you something, sir, you are _not _my family, and will _never _be. Good day to you two."

I stormed off toward Ordon Spring. The two men exchanged glances; Link shrugged and put up his hands in confusion.

"I know, son, I know," said my father, "I imagine she's going through a lot right now, what with the suitor ordeal. All we can do is try to wait it out. If she wants to go _that badly_, she'll comply."

Link nodded, lightly dusting off his trousers and trailing behind me to his house.

XxXxX

By nightfall, there was a knocking at my door just as I had finished my dinner. I raised a brow, thinking who would be out and about at such a late hour. It must have been after five o'clock and most of the town was settled down and in bed by six. I tossed my soup bowl into the sink basin, rinsed my hands and patted them dry on my trousers, suddenly curious enough to answer the frantic knocking. I swung it open only to find Ilia standing on my landing looking pensive and curt.

My brows twinged up a bit; what Ilia could possibly want after bedtime was beyond me, "Link, we need to talk," she said bitterly, pushing passed me.

Skeptically, I sarcastically moved to invite her in, as she had already found her way to my den. She seated herself neatly on the sofa, picking at the furniture and brushing off the same yellow dress she wore earlier. I left for the kitchen, all the while keeping a close eye on Ilia, knowing she was up to no good. Very few times had she arrived at my house to cut a deal that didn't go south for me. And only me.

She carefully eyed me from the sofa as I puttered about the kitchen; I figured she knew I was suspicious of her late night visit and she was playing coy to cover her uneasiness. Not by accident did the tea slowly make its way to the tray, partially because that's how long it brews and partially because it gave me time to judge her intentions.

When the tray was ready, Ilia sat foot-tappingly impatient in the den, arms folded and a very disgruntled look on her face. She was perched on the very edge of her seat and staring intently at me through smug and bored eyes. I lightly smirked as I set down the tea.

She reached for a cup, "Sit down please, you make me nervous when you hover like that." I rolled my eyes in acquiesce and took a seat. She sat in an uncomfortable silence for an uncomfortable amount of time as she readied her tea, not once glancing up and attempting to make conversation. I understood, though, that it was fairly difficult to communicate with me as I didn't talk. I knew at times how frustrating that might be and I smiled to myself before I realized Ilia was talking, "This won't take long. I just wanted to have a semi-dialogue with you about the trip."

Grabbing a tea cup, I sat up straight, my ears pricking and my interest visible.

She smirked, "I thought you'd still consider it. Here's the deal," she began, her face suddenly pursing as though she had sucked a fresh lemon, "I'll go with you, because I understand my father wants me safe. That, and I _need _to go to Castle Town." She paused for a sip, "So, are you in?"

Though doubtful, the wiser choice in this case was to fool her into thinking I agreed.

So I did.

I nodded, and stuck out my arm. She obliged, cupping her hand into mine, and we shook on it, "I'll be here bright and early tomorrow morning so we can discuss more about the trip." She set down her cup, and stood in a strange silence with her hands on her hips. I think she knew I was onto her, and was uneasy about her ability to fool me.

Then, all too quickly, she nearly fled for the door and all in one breath said, "Allright Link, well it was lovely of you to have me over, I'll see you tomorrow, thank you for the tea, have a wonderful night!" SLAM.

I winced. A couple of splinters dropped off the door frame and I heard her footsteps receding off my landing, down the ladder and back toward her house. I sat, a bit dumbfounded, but immersed in thought. Did she really think I was _that _naïve? I chuckled, and finished off my tea.


	3. Chapter 3

*See author's homepage before reading

XxXxX

I maniacally rubbed my hands together, "Oh Gods, I can't believe he bought it!" half-shouting as I ran back to the village, "Link, you idiot. You wonderful, gullible idiot," I muttered, giggling gleefully into my palms. I felt dirty, a little like I was scurrying like a rat, speeding out of Link's the way I did, but I needed to get out before he caught on to my ingenious plan. I certainly had him fooled, or at least fooled enough to get out of Ordon tonight undetected.

I chuckled into my hands again, and hurried back home.

Quietly zipping in through the front door while my father slept, I slipped into my bedroom and searched my room for anything else I might need. My bed was entirely stripped of its furs and quilts; I figured it was cold enough in Ordon, why wouldn't the rest of Hyrule be the same?

I found a satchel in my cupboard and tossed it on the bare wooden frame that was once where I slept. Yanking open my closet doors, I ripped down my two favorite tunics and three favorite dresses, throwing in an extra pair of leather boots. I flung pairs of silk stockings left and right over my shoulders and into the pile, and my expensive toiletries followed.

Luckily, I managed all the essentials before my pack was full to bursting.

I flexed and stretched my arms, pulling my cloak over my shoulders, "Tonight, I'm getting out of here."

Once all of my things were trussed, stacked, and ready to go, I heaved up the ten stone satchel, took one last forlorn look at my bedroom and sighed, "Unfortunately, I have to pack light," I patted my bag sullenly, "so, goodbye luxuries of my old life! I expect there to be many more of you when I marry a rich man," I blew them a kiss and made my way toward Faron Woods.

It didn't take long before the trip had proven itself to be more difficult than I had first imagined, "Gah! This pack weighs a hundred stones!" I threw the bag at the ground and dragged it behind me, small beads of sweat beginning to form on my brow.

Having Link as my guide was sounding pretty good right about now. I knew I wasn't able to live without my perfumes and dresses, and Link would basically just be my pack mule. I lugged the satchel onto my shoulder and stared toward the sky, thinking how much better it might be to have just accepted my father's conditions. It's not like he'd asked me to come back once I'd found a man, Link was only there to help me.

I continued dragging while I reconsidered, "So, a pack mule."

I stopped somewhere near Uli's and stretched. Looking to the stars again, I pondered, "Maybe I _should _go with Link..." I thought aloud, imagining how pathetic I must've looked, "I mean, he _is _a grown man, and would know exactly what to do if we got lost or something." Suddenly, images of bandits and monsters popped into my head as they nightmarishly lurked just out of sight. I shuddered at the eeriness that hovered in the air and hiked my bag up close to me. "Maybe I _should _go with Link..." I repeated.

Again, it was starting to sound pretty good.

After about a quarter of an hour of lugging a huge pack full of essentials, I had finally reached the edge of Faron Woods, Link's front yard, and dropped the strap in near defeat. Eying the arch of the trees marking the entrance, I knew I was never going to make it to Castle Town alone with such a heavy bag. I kicked it in frustration when suddenly, like one of her horseshoes, it hit me, "Epona! She can help me!"

I quietly jogged over to her stall where she slept and poked around in search of the key. Last summer, Link and my father had built a stable for her since Talo and Malo horse-napped her and took her for a joyride. Not only did the two boys almost kill themselves, but it was quite a scare for Link, seeing as he loved this horse more than anything in the world. I didn't understand it, but it wasn't like I cared what Link loved. It was all about what _I _loved.

Today, however, I was in luck; Link told me where he hid the key to the gate for just an occasion such as this. Haughtily, I swiped the key from underneath the stable's roof and admired it for a moment before jamming it into the keyhole.

When the lock clicked, Epona's eyes shot open and she whinnied in fear, thrashing about the stall, slamming her powerful flanks against the walls and kicking furiously at the back gate. The booming cracks of her hooves against the wood splintered it and caused quite a ruckus.

"Oh no, Epona," I whispered soothingly to her, "Shh, shh, it's okay, Epona, it's just me." The mare slowly relaxed after recognizing me. She lovingly snuffled my hair and purred, clicking her hooves against the hard ground in a giddy dance. When she settled down, she gave me a disconcerted look, as though she knew what I was up to.

"Oh, don't look at me like that!" I whispered hoarsely, "Listen, I need your help, and you'll be a good horse and give me a hand, right?" Epona snorted, as though to say no way. I blew a raspberry, but thinking quickly, I spotted Link's garden and snatched up a carrot. I tantalizingly waved the fresh vegetable in front of her muzzle.

Hypnotized, she opened her soft lips and gently took it from my fingers, a shudder of contentedness rattling her from crest to dock. I smirked and lead her from the stall, tossing my bag around her neck while she busily munched away at the carrot. The weight of my heavy satchel was no match for this full grown horse and my smirk grew more haughty as I patted myself for being so clever.

I readied her bridle and bit, and cinched up her saddle, grabbing a few more carrots for the road, in case she decided to flake out on me. Standing back to take a look at my work, I put my hands on my hips and grinned, taking the reins and leading Epona to the edge of Link's yard.

I chuckled to myself, "I don't need Link and I'll never need Link. I'm an adult and I can do this all by my-"

My sentence was cut short and for a moment, the air was sucked from my lungs as the ground fell out from beneath my feet. I couldn't scream. I couldn't move. I watched in slow motion as my hands groped fervently at thin air in a fearful attempt to grab onto something.

Before I could get a firm grasp on what was happening, I landed butt first into a large pile of tilled soil. Moments later, the debris covering the trap rained down on top of my head which was then followed by approaching footsteps. Over the ledge, Link's smug face appeared with a lantern. He raised a sardonic eyebrow and waited for my response.

"What is the _meaning _of this, Link?" I screamed, throwing my hands into the dirt.

He chuckled and threw a rope down to me. His face then disappeared. When I climbed up the rope and got to the other end, he had tied it to a tree and was looking stern leaning against the rock landing of his house.

"What?" I snapped, brushing off my now ruined dress.

He pointedly jabbed a finger at Epona.

Oh no. I forgot about the horse.

I tried to brush it off as nothing, "Link, it's really no big deal. Nothing happened to her-"

Link stormed over to her and took the bags off her neck, dropping them on the ground.

"Link! Be careful! My things!" I shouted, making a dash for the bag.

He jerked around to face me, an almost menacing look in his eye. I took a step back. This was a mistake. A huge mistake. My thoughts raced. I should've known that Link would find out. I should've known he would be furious.

Putting Epona safely back in her stable, he approached me and stuck his finger in my face.

I held my hands up in defense and jammed my eyes shut. I was too scared to move. To think. To even breathe. Beneath my rude exterior, I was simply a coward. Link had never been angry with me. Link had never been angry with anyone; not once in all the 20 years I had known him.

The moon shone off his blonde hair that hung dangerously in his eyes. It made it all the more terrifying. I remained still, afraid he might strike me. I dared open one eye and when he finally looked up at me, I wished immediately he hadn't.

I went slack-jawed. My hands slowly moved to my sides and I stood there, staring like an idiot.

I knew why he looked at me the way he did.

He was hurt because I tried to steal Epona.

Hurt because he had entrusted important information to me and I used it against him.

Hurt because what I did was so glaringly wrong, anyone else in the world would have seen it but me.

Link's hand fell to his side. He shook his head, ruffling his hair, and brushing away any anger that might have lingered. When he raised his head again, his expression had completely changed. He shook his finger at me, scolding me like a child.

I raised a brow.

Grabbing my bag, he tossed it over Epona's neck, fixed up her saddle and removed the bit and bridle. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair, chuckling at my poor job of readying Epona. I crossed my arms, irked.

Link grinned like an idiot and saddled Epona; he turned and patted the spot behind him, inviting me up.

"That's more like it." But before I even had time to react, he spurred the horse who in turn flew onto her back legs and bellowed. Her hooves battered the ground and she came running full tilt toward me. In shock, I cringed, awaiting my inevitable trampling, but Link scooped me up by my sash and threw me sideways onto Epona's back. It happened so quickly my head spun. It didn't take long for me to realize I was being tossed around like an old toy.

"Link, how dare you! Is this how you treat a lady! My _father _will be hearing about this!" I screamed, kicking and flailing. Link simply smiled as we rode off toward town.

OoOoO

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Link!" My father groveled pathetically to my captor, "I cannot express how grateful I am that you caught her when you did!" I stood with my head in my hands, shielding my shame from the crowd that had begun to gather.

Link smiled and shushed Bo, waving it off as though it was nothing.

"I thank you again, my boy. Once again, you have saved the day. Oh, what would we ever do without you?"

Link scratched the back of his head, the tips of his Hylian ears growing dark with embarrassment. I sighed loudly.

When he was done boasting, Link took my bag from Epona and returned it to me. I snatched it away from him and yanked open the top to check on my most precious items. My father coughed, "Well, Ilia, what do you have to say for yourself?"

I looked up from my pack through my eyelashes, first at my father, then at Link. I poked my tongue out at him and raced for the door.

My father stood on the patio, gawking after me, and with a hint of shame in his voice he said, "I'm sorry, Link. I suppose there's nothing I can do to get her to understand right now. Hopefully she'll come around."

Link waved his hand again, his most charming smile plastered on his stupid face. I peeked through the window of my wash room and glared daggers at the man who stopped me from escaping. He saddled Epona once more, and rode off between the slopes. I sighed and made a run for my bedroom before my father caught me. To no avail, unfortunately.

"Ilia! What were you thinking! Trying to run away, that's absolutely _disgraceful!_"

I dropped the satchel onto the table and turned to face my father. My hair shielding my face, I readied 'the look'.

"Oh, no you don't, daughter. That won't work on me this time."

I slowly moved my eyes up toward him, the lengths of my lashes damp with tears and my lip trembling ever so slightly.

He remained unmoved, his heavy brow popping up in annoyance as he crossed his arms.

I fought it for a few more seconds before caving, "Gah, father! Why did you have to embarrass me like that?"

He shook his head, "Ilia, you have to learn sometime to stop _fighting _me. I'm only doing what's best for you. If you honestly don't believe that, I'm not sure what to tell you."

I tried to speak and cut him off, but his booming voice kept me from getting a word in edge-wise.

"No buts, Ilia! Either you go with Link, or you don't go at all."

My mouth fell ajar for a moment before I jammed it shut, my brow shoved down in a horrible frown. I screamed, "Fine!" and stormed off to my bedroom where I emptied my pack, throwing my belongings all over the room.

At the bottom of my bag laid my ebony hairbrush, still intact. I gingerly pulled it out and stroked the soft bristles. I would've killed Link had this been broken. I sighed and turned in for the night, placing my prized brush in the vanity drawer.

OoOoO

It hadn't been a full hour after I awoke before I was plotting my next escape; I was getting out of Ordon _alone _whether or not my father or Link liked it. I holed myself up in my room, where I sat over a crudely drawn map, calculating which plan would give me ample time to get out through Fado's goat corral.

"Now, if memory serves, Fado locks up the livestock at dusk, so if I can get there just after he puts them up for the night, I'll have just enough daylight to make it through the corral and into the Woods," I slapped my knee, throwing my hands into the air in triumph, "I'm a genius."

This time around, my packing was much, _much _lighter. I cut down my clothes to one tunic, two dresses, one pair of boots would have to suffice, and my perfumes had to stay behind. I sadly waved them farewell before closing my vanity cupboard. My bed was far from stripped, as all I had packed was two furs and a quilt. When I had carefully filtered out all the mandatory items and had them readied, my satchel weighed a mere eight stones. Hoisting the bag onto my shoulders, I shoved it through the window, which happened to be just above a soft patch of freshly tilled soil, courtesy of me. However, the idea of going through the front room loomed in my head, like a death sentence. My father would be relaxing in there right about now, and there was no way I'd make it out the window without drawing some attention.

But with a deep breath, I put on my angriest scowl and stormed for the door, stomping my way out to the front room. My father lounged on the sofa, just as I suspected, and I threw him a look that dared him with all my might to ask where I was going. He looked flustered for a moment, then turned back to watching the fire. I made it out the door, slammed it behind me, and grabbed my pack with a pleasant smile on my face.

Though my bag was much lighter than before, it was still fairly heavy, so running wasn't an option. Walking, however, suited me just fine. It was half past five when I left the house and a quarter to six by the time I'd made it to the ranch.

The sun was setting cozily behind the purple mountains when I saw Fado swinging his bell above his head, "Hey! Come on, you old things, into bed, now, into bed." He paced after them into the barn. Luckily, it only took a moment for them to get settled into their stables. Fado followed suit and headed home, which unfortunately was in my direction. Thinking quickly, I heaved my satchel onto a short knoll just above my head, and I dived for a patch of long whistle grass. He sauntered by without a second glance. I smirked and raced for my pack. With a triumphant smile, I stuffed my heavy pack through the fence and, popping through myself, proceeded to the other side of the corral.

Since our most recent expansion, Fado's farm had grown three fold, meaning he had three times as many grumpy goats, and three times as much space. To walk from one end of the pasture to the other took roughly a quarter hour, which wouldn't have been so horrible, if Link hadn't trained the goats so well.

About halfway through the corral, I was parallel with the barn doors, and suddenly, they started to shake. It hadn't occurred to me until that very second that Link had a special way of keeping wolves away from the livestock: he taught them to defend themselves.

The concept finally clicked in my brain, and my eyes went wide. I made a mad dash for the other side of the fence, knowing I couldn't make it, but there was no way I wouldn't try. Within seconds, the barn door was busted out and a flood of angry blue fur and a curly mess of horns came rampaging out of the stable. As I struggled to race to the other end of the fence, I dared a glance over my shoulder, and immediately wished I hadn't. The goats were all stampeding straight for me, nostrils flaring and hooves uprooting huge clods of dirt. They were moving so fast that even without the weight of my bag, I wouldn't be able to outrun them.

_'Oh Gods, I'm not getting out of here alive,' _was my last thought before the unthinkable happened.

The toe of my boot caught the edge of a hole, and I went down.

Everything moved much too slowly. I could feel my heart racing in my ears, the tickling of my hair on my face as the wind caught it and tossed it about. The chill of the night's cool air on my damp skin brought up goosebumps and I readied myself to hit the ground.

When I finally did, I braced for hundreds of enraged horseshoes to stamp me into a pulp, but the execution never came. Instead, when I pried open my eyes and uncurled from the fetal position, I dared a peek across the grass. There stood Link, frantically ringing Fado's bell, and all the goats immediately vanished from around me and flocked to him, happily bounding here and there, waggling their stubbly tails.

I stayed still. Could it be some kind of trick? Terror racked my entire body and I could feel my muscles convulsing, my lip trembled as I reached my breaking point. I thought I was as good as dead. A strange phenomenon occurs when your life is in danger and you're reeling from it. Time works in mysterious ways, because I closed my eyes for what felt like a moment, and when I opened them again, Link was running toward me, much closer than was possible for a simple blink, and a look of frightened concern on his face. I closed my eyes for another moment, and when I opened them a second time, I was lying in my bed, facing my ceiling. My clothes were changed and all my things were replaced. I darted to my feet and touched my body all over, _'Oh thank Gods, I'm still in one piece.'_

I glanced about the room in wonderment of how I got there. As I slowly put the pieces together, I heard muffled talking just outside my room. Cautiously, I approached the door and pressed my ear against it. My father was talking to Link. What I could make out was slurred, and of course it was only my father speaking.

"Again, Link, I cannot thank you enough, my boy."

Silence. Link must've been replying.

"Nonsense! There is a very real possibility that she could've been... killed if you hadn't been concerned for her. Gods know she isn't concerned for herself."

At that, I nearly shoved open the door and went at my father, but I managed to sit still and listen to the conversation.

"Link, what am I going to do with her? This is the second time in less than a single day! And now she just confirms my _worst _fears about her going to Castle Town."

I nervously bit my lip, awaiting those four fateful words, 'the plan is off', but they never came. "What I'm saying is that if she can't even make it out of her own home village, one of the safest places in Hyrule, without almost being _trampled to death_, what hope is there that she can make it _outside _of Ordon? Even with _you_."

More silence.

"Well, if you think you can convince her... I trust you." A soft pat echoed through the house, followed by two sets of footsteps quickly approaching my room. I leaped away from the door and jumped into my bed and a half a second later the door creaked open to reveal Link, looking frumpy and tired and sweaty.

_'Ew. He'd better not touch anything.'_

He quietly pulled up my polished vanity stool and put it at the edge of my bed. Taking a seat, he leaned in really close to me; I almost backed up.

_'Gross, Link. Ugh, if you weren't so ugly, my father might have put you on my list of suitors.'_

He gently brushed his calloused hand over my forehead. I figured my ruse was about to give out so I opened my eyes, "Link?"

He smiled warmly, his blue eyes lighting up a bit with relief. I caught myself getting a little starry eyed, so I turned away and folded my arms over my chest, "Whose big idea was it to train those goats in the first place?"

"Ilia, daughter, you must understand. Link feels _responsible _for what happened-"

"He _should _feel responsible! I was nearly killed! If it wasn't the goats that killed me it would've been fear, scaring me half to death. What were you thinking!" I flung my arms about, jabbing accusing fingers at Link.

He simply smiled and ran his fingers through his mussy blonde hair, breathing a sigh of what sounded like alleviation.

My father sighed, defeated and exhausted, "Link's just happy you're allright, dear," he clarified.

I looked back to Link, who stood and glanced at me with upturned, worried brows. He gave me one more noted smile and with that, they left.

My mouth turned a little crooked.

Was it possible I was feeling guilty?

I nearly laughed out loud. Unlikely. It wasn't my fault. If my father hadn't dropped that suitor bombshell on me in the first place, I wouldn't have tried to escape, and if Link hadn't set that trap and trained those goats to murder innocent, beautiful young women, I wouldn't have almost been trampled. Go figure they would try to turn it around on me.

I chuckled, hopped out of bed, changed into my _proper _sleepwear, and curled back into bed for the night.

OoOoO

When I was up and ready to go the following morning, I knew the village would be on the lookout for me. I needed to wait _even longer _before leaving tonight. Simply walking wasn't an option anymore; I had to be able to run, and quickly. Unfortunately, both Fado's ranch and the main entrance to Faron Woods were being guarded like precious gems, so getting out through either place was near impossible. I was back to planning.

At one point at about midday, I fancied a walk about town, but my father had other plans.

He stood vigilantly in front of the door.

"Move, I'm going for a walk," I snarled.

"Not without me, you're not," he stated gruffly.

I was flabbergasted. I jabbed a pointed finger into my father's belly, "Listen here, you. Where do you get off talking to me like that?"

He snorted a loud snort, "I'm your father, remember? You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me."

At first, I was annoyed, but he was right, so I reluctantly said, "Fine. Would you go with me than? I'd like to get some fresh air."

He grinned, "Sure thing, let me grab you a coat. It'll be cold out."

A small part of me wanted to smile, but the more reasonable rest of me suppressed it. I knew what it meant to give into desires, and that was weakness.

I would not be weak.

My father returned with my Ordonian wolf fur and draped it over my shoulders. I rather fancied this fur; it was a mixture of a dark and light bluish gray with a similar forehead pattern to the ones on Ordonian goats. This coat happened to belong to a male that Link wrestled to the ground a couple of years back. I grimaced at the thought of a man acting so savage and of course, my husband would _never _be that kind of man.

As my father and I walked in silence, I knew he had something on his mind, but it was easier for me not to ask; that and I didn't care. But nonetheless, my father voiced his worries.

"Ilia, do you _really _understand why I'd like Link to accompany you?"

I sighed noisily, "Because you think I'm a child?"

He chuckled, "No dear, it's because I love you, and I want you to be safe."

_'Riiight. Just like you'd never go bald, huh?'_

I almost laughed, "Yeah, I know."

"And I wouldn't ask Link to go out of his way for anything else in the world."

I peeked over my shoulder at my father who wasn't looking at me, instead his eyes wandered over the vast expanse of his quiet village. I didn't answer.

He cleared his throat a bit, "You know, daughter, asking for or accepting help a weakling does not make."

I raised a brow, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're not weak when you admit you need teaching. In fact, it makes you stronger."

I faced forward, silent.

"Just a thought, I suppose."

I sighed again. All these cryptic 'lessons' just annoyed me to no end. I never felt any wiser after hearing them. I knew my father's real agenda. He was trying to make a statement of me, so that people wouldn't leave Ordon.

But I had other plans.

I was going to prove to everyone that I wasn't the adorable little daughter of the mayor that everyone had grown to love. I was an adult, and I was going to see the world like any other adult would.

That was that.

"Did you have anywhere in mind that you wanted to go, Ilia?"

I didn't think long, "I wanted to go to Link's, maybe talk to Epona."

My father didn't reply.

When I turned to look at him, he was smiling wryly.

"What's that stupid grin for?" I said, irritated.

"Oh nothing," he replied, smiling even bigger.

"Whatever." I brushed it off. My father was acting like an idiot.

Big surprise.

When we got to Link's, he was out front chopping firewood.

"Oi, Link!" My father boomed, leaving my poor ears ringing. I turned around and stamped my foot. He innocently scratched his head with another dopey smile on his dopey face.

Link looked up and waved us over, a smile on his face, too. Why was everyone so smiley around here?

"Oi, Link, my boy. You working hard, or hardly working?"

I groaned. My father always said that to the townspeople. It was humiliating.

Link laughed silently.

With a chuckle, my father said, "Anyway, aren't you chilly? You'll catch your death out here sweating like that without a shirt."

I hadn't been paying attention, but when I happened to look, it was the first I'd noticed Link was in fact shirtless. _'Big whoop.'_

Link looked down at his bare chest and blushed a bit, running his fingers through his hair. He held up a finger and jogged inside.

My father teasingly looked down at me with another wry smile, knowingly crossing his arms. I did a double take, "What are you implying, old man?" I said a little too loud.

Now, I couldn't be sure, but I could've sworn my father mumbled, "Methinks thou doth protesteth too much."

I felt like punching him, but I managed to keep my hands to myself.

When Link returned, he was pulling a plain white tunic over his head.

_'Ugh, ugly _and _boring.'_

My father smiled and patted Link's back, asking him about his vegetable garden, "So, Link, you thought much about selling your crops?"

At the question, I knew I was about to die of boredom so I excused myself to visit Epona. Link had recently attached a grain bag underneath the shelf. I stuck my hand in and felt around until I came out with a handful of dry oats. When I offered them to Epona, she whinnied cautiously, but I patted her for comfort, letting her know I had no intention of escaping with her today. The mare clicked her hooves happily and lovingly nuzzled my chin. I sighed as she nudged her dirty horse face all over me. Her soft lips brushed against my palm as she nibbled away at her treat. I grabbed her old brush from the shelf and ran it over her chestnut coat while she ate.

"What am I to do, Epona?" I asked her hopelessly, wiping the oat and slobber covered hand on the grain bag. It seemed to me that she shrugged, almost as though she understood my dilemma. I sighed again, and moved behind her. I must've spooked her, because the second the bristles touched her coat, she shrieked and shoved her butt into me. I went flying backwards into the bushes, landing flat on my back. It hurt badly enough to encourage me not to move, so there I laid, knowing my coat was going to be covered in twigs and burrs, but the fall had knocked the wind out of me. I tilted my head back, opened my eyes and that's when I saw it.

The trees behind Link's house were thin, and the detour around the back wouldn't put me too far out from the beaten path. The walk from the edge of the woods to Faron looked to be about ten minutes.

I could make it on foot. There was actually a chance I could make it out of Ordon tonight and it was staring me in the face. Without hitting any traps, without anyone finding out, and _without _a near-death experience, I could make it out of Ordon.

I smiled devilishly to myself just as a pair of hands yanked me up from the ground.

There was Link, to save the day again. I rolled my eyes when he helped me up. "I'm _fine_, thank you very much," I scolded, ripping my hands from his grasp. He was undeterred as he checked me over, "Ex-_cuse me_, Mr. Link! Just what do you think you're doing!" I hollered, yanking my coat around my shoulders. I brushed myself off and quickly fixed my hair.

He simply smiled that idiotic smile and moved to the side, allowing me through the stable first. I shoved past him and stomped back into the yard, taking a stubborn stance next to my father, the fur still pulled tight to my body.

"Well, Link, I think this little lady's ready to head home."

Link chuckled quietly and waved us farewell before getting back to work. My father returned the wave and we left. My mood had found an interesting balance between annoyed and cautiously hopeful. Annoyed that Link is _always _there to play the hero, but optimistic about tonight. If I could just distract my father long enough to get out of the house, I'd be free. But how?

The idea didn't come to me until after supper.

OoOoO

"Who wants wine?" I cheered, holding up two dark bottles of grape wine.

My father's ears pricked a bit, "Wine? What for?"

_'Uh-oh. I hadn't thought of that.' _"Well, I leave tomorrow morning, don't I? Our last night together until my long-awaited return? I figured, why not celebrate?"

He smiled, "Well, you're in a much cheerier mood than this afternoon. What's gotten into you?"

His barrage of questions almost flubbed me, but thinking quickly I sputtered, "Oh, I'm just unwinding. I dipped into a bottle myself while cooking supper."

He nodded with a smile and continued watching the fire.

When I returned to the kitchen, I fancied myself a genius. I snatched two crystal glasses from the rack and filled my father's to the brim. For the next two hours, my father and I drank heartily, laughing and carrying on until the late hours of the night. My father indulged in two bottles to himself, but by my third glass, I was gone.

At around nine o'clock, my father managed to slur in a very drunken voice, "Y-you know, you should reaaally get some *hic* sleep. You'll be leavin' early *hic* in the mornin'!"

My eyes were drooping and my head was swimming; I had almost forgotten I was going to escape. Fortunately, I was able to spit out, "Okay, daddy... You're right, I'll get to slee-sleep." I stood and wobbled to my bedroom, taking two breaks between the sofa and the door to steady myself. I stumbled inside and slammed the door, leaning heavily against it for support.

"Oh Gods. This *hic* is bad." I screwed up. It hadn't occurred to me that my father was five times my size and it took a lot more alcohol to get him drunk than it would for me. I figured, however, if I was sober enough to understand that I was drunk, then I was sober enough to go ahead with my plan.

Quickly packing my smallest bag yet, consisting of only a dress and a tunic, two pairs of silk stockings, my soaps and hairbrush, and a single fur and quilt, I was ready to go in under five minutes. If I hadn't been drunk, I could've at least jogged, but because I didn't trust my legs to move any faster than a brisk walk, I intelligently decided against it.

I pressed my ear to the door and waited until I heard my father's guttural snores. It took a quarter hour, but he was definitely asleep. When I heard a loud, staccato snort emanate from the front room, I knew it was time to go. In my severely drunken state, I nearly laughed but managed to stifle it and quietly get out the door. It took all my concentration until I finally got behind Jaggle and Pergie's and from there, I climbed their large rock and jumped to the small cliff that looms over the creek. Not only did I make it, just barely, but I did it without making a commotion. I stupidly smiled to myself, wavering over the edge of the bluff. Within minutes, I was heading straight into the woods behind Link's house.

I floundered here and there, further and further into the thickest part of the forest until the moonlight no longer shone through the leaves. I thought that when I saw the back of Link's house, I'd be close to the entrance of Faron Woods, but it was nearly pitch black and it hadn't occurred to me at the time that it would be dark and a lantern would be a must. Luckily, though, I was moving with drunken ease and no weight on my shoulders. That's when I realized that at some point, I'd dropped my satchel.

My eyes snapped open wide in a panic.

"Oh no," I mumbled, dropping to the ground, "My bag. Where'd I *hic* drop my bag?" I fumbled about, trying desperately to locate my bag and regain my composure. The world was spinning as I struggled to concentrate and closing my eyes didn't help. The more I worried about my pack, the more I felt the wine swirling about in my belly like a storm. I staggered to a tree, desperate for balance, and doubled over with a gurgling retch. My head became almost instantly clearer. I wiped my mouth and glanced around to see if my vision had stopped wobbling. It took me a moment, but that's when the second realization hit me; I was undeniably lost.

The same monsters and ghoulies that lingered in my mind from two nights ago suddenly felt so real. The trees themselves seemed to close in on me, breathing down the nape of my neck and snagging my clothes, teasing me while I nearly wept in fear. My gaze shifted about in the suffocating blackness as I tried in desperation to go back the way I came. Clawing hopelessly from one trunk to the next, I was convinced I was going in circles; every branch, every inch of bark feeling exactly the same as the last. My boots quickly carried me wherever there was clear ground, so when I stumbled into an open glade, I ran with all my might. I was blind, but it didn't matter. I was running for my life and any flat surface that the soles of my feet could catch, they would whisk me away. I ran no further than a stone's throw when suddenly, I stopped. My legs kept running, but I wasn't going anywhere. The wind wasn't rushing past my face and roaring in the shell of my ears.

I was positively immobile.

My eyes darted to and fro, as big as the moon, trying frantically to drink in every ounce of light they could. My chest heaved so hard in sheer terror that no amount of air felt like enough and I tried hopelessly pushing myself away from this mystery force but to no avail. Groping about me, I could only guess as to what this hindrance was, until I plucked it.

It was a massive spider web.

Immediately, I thrashed about in the trap, mimicking its next panicked meal. The silken string hugged me tighter the more I fought, but the more it bound me, the harder I tried. It quickly dawned on me that whatever monster was sitting just out of sight on the edges of the web would discover me faster if I moved.

So I stilled myself, remaining perfectly frozen for a full minute.

My breathing nearly ceased.

The ringing in my ears halted.

All movement in my body had stopped.

Even my heart felt like it was holding its breath.

Then, like something from a nightmare, I felt the web jostle.

Whatever it was, it was coming for me.

Suddenly, my ribs felt like they were caving in as the sticky cord suddenly found its way around my middle and pulled taut. The air hitched in my throat while I lay useless, my mind not yet catching up to me. Then my ankles were bound, followed by my knees. Finally, my voice was racking up my throat, bursting through my airless lungs in a frail squeak. I squirmed to open up room where my chest was bound, desperately trying to get a full breath of air. Frantically fighting against the stuff winding its way around my arms, I uselessly twisted and kicked in a frenzy, but whatever was binding me, I was powerless against it. That didn't mean I was giving up. When my body was immersed in the web, the creature quickly moved to my head. The second its grubby mitts touched my hair, I had loosened the area around my chest, so I tilted my head back, gulped down a lungful of air, and let out a scream so frightfully deafening, it left my own ears ringing. A minor setback for the creatures and I slumped into a state of catatonia as they got back to work.

XxXxX

Impatiently, I sat on my sofa, my fingers drumming my knee and my brow pushed into an unfortunate scowl. I _knew _Ilia would have another escape attempt in action tonight; it was the last night she could, so I had a feeling she would try. Where she executed it, however, I couldn't figure out. She hadn't sprung any of my traps, so she must've hit the only place I hadn't thought of. The maps from my past travels were strewn all over my table as I circled here and scribbled there; I had thought of all possible vantage points, all possible escape routes, and not one had been hit tonight. It was nearing ten o'clock and no sign of her. I knew, though, there was no chance she wasn't trying.

So there I sat, stewing in restlessness.

I scooped the Ordon map up from the table and examined it much closer, holding the parchment just an inch from the end of my nose. I thought to myself how it was possible, how she could get past my traps, and that's when it hit me.

My eyes went wide while I groped for my stylus. I slowly set the map down again, and scratched a line from Ilia's porch, behind Jaggle and Pergie's house, up onto the bluff and to the edge of the forest that encircled my land.

I slumped back in my seat in disbelief.

There was no way she was _that _naïve, was there?

Then came the scream.

The bloodcurdling, earth-shattering scream.

My heart leaped into my throat. I knew that scream, the shrill one that rattled my chest all too familiarly. That's when my heart sank.

She was in trouble.

Bolting for the door, I sailed from the landing, hitting the hard dirt and ripping into a one-eighty skid; I wrenched the stable gate open, mounted my horse, and we tore off into the woods, thrashing everything in our wake.

My sword and bow accompanied me as I quickly pulled several arrows from their quiver, ignited, and fired one after another into the trees in rapid succession, hitting the mark without fail; Epona followed suit and charged after them as they lit the way.

It didn't take long to catch onto Ilia's trail because in the soft glow of a burning arrow, I thought I spotted her satchel. I banked hard to the right while Epona galloped full tilt, ducking and weaving between the branches that threatened to throw me from my saddle. When we neared it, I snatched the bag off the ground and yanking it open, I saw an ebony hairbrush.

Sure enough, it belonged to Ilia.

I threw the pack over my shoulder, and urged Epona forward, leaning into her with all my might.

We came tearing into a clearing and suddenly, all I could hear was the beating of my own panicked heart. Hurriedly, I quieted Epona and listened intently for a lick of sound; a twig snapping, a murmur, anything.

As if on cue, another scream tore through the forest and I jerked the reins to the east where we took off, exhausted, and running off pure adrenaline.

Epona's rhythmic exhales acted like a clock, ticking away seconds that felt like hours. I lit several more arrows and mounted them, standing at the ready as time crawled by. Within moments, a clearing came into view and we shot into the open, skidding to a halt. I fired my arrows and ignited the glade like a fireworks show.

It was there that I found Ilia.

The scarred bodies of four hulking beasts surrounded a web with the wriggling shape of a girl mounted in the center. Thirty-two huge, cruel eyes all flicked to me in surprise, glistening with a desperate hunger in the dim light of the fire.

Then, all at once, the eyes turned wild and they charged.

The thunderous booms of their long legs shook the ground as they closed in on me. I slid to the ground, guarded, and slowly unsheathed my blade, letting my muscles settle into the rhythm of swordplay. For a moment, the beasts wavered, staring in awe that I wasn't cowering before them. I tantalizingly swung my sword to and fro, egging them on, daring the creatures to try me.

In a fit of blinding rage, the monsters rushed me, bobbing in and out of sight when the light favored it, hate fueling their battle-hardened shells, their eyes gleaned with savage bloodlust.

I smiled dangerously, the glean of my blade shining on my teeth.

This was my chance.

A fierce roar ripped through my throat as the steel of my sword met with the first head in the onslaught of beasts, sinking into the shell of the demon's glistening armor.

With a sharp screech, it met a cold and brutal end.

The carnage of my blade's first victim splashed my face, my hair now thick and heavy with my enemy's death. I glanced up, daring the lot of them once again, to test me as their leader's blood trickled down my face.

Yet, like the cowards they are, they scurried off in all directions, leaving the three of us alone. I quickly yanked my sword from the lifeless body of the spider, whipped out another hot arrow and fired it into the mess of webbing that engulfed Ilia. I ran to the heap of fizzling silk and unearthed the terrified girl beneath it. Ilia was shaking uncontrollably and her eyes were nearly soldered shut. Knowing nothing I could do right now would calm her down, I lifted her into my arms and carried her to Epona. We slowly trotted back to my house, all the while I tried to still her trembling.

When I'd gotten her onto my sofa, wrapped in a blanket and was serving her tea, Ilia had finally stopped quivering. We sat in silence for a long while, so I fixed her tea and tried to encourage her to drink it. She simply stared at the table's surface. My ears fell and I raised a brow in skepticism. I moved to sit next to her on the sofa and showed her the tea. She still showed no interest. Draping one arm around her shoulders, I picked up her hands and carefully wrapped her small fingers around the stout cup. Finally, she grasped it and looked into the glass.

After a sigh, I took my usual seat across from her. By this time, she was finally coherent. She was looking around the room and no longer creepily staring at my table. I watched carefully as she gulped down the tea and immediately regretted it, sputtering and coughing up a storm. She wiped her mouth and looked up at me, almost innocently. I smiled.

"Are you allright?" I asked, concern laden in my seldom used voice.

The teacup hit the floor. Oh great, now I'd done it.

XxXxX

I held up a finger in shock, "You... you just–"

"I know, I know," I began, a little frustrated, although I should've seen this coming. In all the eighteen years I'd known Ilia, I had _never _spoken in front of her before, so this was to be expected. She just stared, her quivering finger still jutted out at me; I gently pushed her hand down and it went limp at her side. Her jaw still hung wide open, though, but there wasn't much I could do about that.

"Listen, Ilia," I began again between sips, "In the last three days, I'd like to say you learned something. But I never know with you." She looked at me through narrowed eyes and I chuckled. Her face turned a bit sour and her gaze fell to her feet. I found it interesting that the one time I had something to say, she didn't.

I continued, "You're an intelligent girl, Ilia. Don't let that go to your head, but you are. There are two lessons to be learned here. One," I held up a finger, "If you can't outwit me, how do you expect to survive on your own?" She looked a little taken aback, as though the thought had never occurred to her that someone in the world has the ability to simply help her out of the kindness of their heart. "And two," up went another finger, "If you can't outwit me, neither can the bad guys."

Ilia didn't say a single word, and that's how I knew that this time, she finally listened. Maybe it was the third near-death experience that changed her mind, maybe it was the shock of hearing me talk for the first time ever, I can't say, but the point was she finally got the message.

Cleaning up the tray, I gently grabbed her hand and led her toward my room. I scooped her up at the ladder and carried her up piggy-back style. On the way up, I just so happened to peek over at her. Her cheeks were bright red and her brows were pinned down in the most disgruntled scowl I'd ever seen. This wasn't exactly the best position for a lady. I choked back a snort. When I set her down, her expression remained a bit sore. I smirked while I set up her bed.

It must've occurred to her that we were in my bedroom, together, and there was only one bed. She sounded panicked for a split second, "Where are you going to sleep?"

I chuckled and pointed down the ladder.

She twiddled her thumbs, "On the sofa?" Was that _guilt _I heard? Couldn't be.

I nodded and fluffed the pillows.

"Oh, _now _you can't speak?" She spouted, shoving her hands on her hips.

Smiling, I shrugged my shoulders sarcastically.

Ilia groaned.

When it was finished, I turned my head with a mischievous glean in my eye.

"Wait, what are you– !" I grabbed her by her shoulders and playfully tossed her into the plethora of down quilts. She screamed, like any girl, but she didn't so much as smile, only glared daggers into me. I chuckled and threw the blankets over her.

"Link, I don't know what to think of you," she said, a mixture of confusion and annoyance on her face.  
I smiled again, my answer for everything, and shoved her into the bed as I retired to the ladder.

But just before I was out of sight, "Wait!"

I stopped and ascended a couple of rungs.

"I-I just wanted to thank you... for saving me, I guess." The odd thing about Ilia was, she was rarely sincere, and when she was she acted like it was the most painful thing she could ever do. This case was no exception. Not meeting my gaze, she stared at her hands, fiddling with a loose thread.

Knowing that was the best I was gonna get from her, I nodded. An awkward silence grew between the two of us. Not because of me though, because silence was never to be blamed on a mute, but I knew Ilia had something to say and wasn't saying it. She finally looked up. My eyes flitted back and forth for a moment before looking at her with another shrug, as though to ask 'what?'

At first she said nothing, but what she was dying to ask slowly welled in her throat, "Why did you talk? Just a bit ago. I mean, I've _never _heard you speak. In all the eighteen years I've known you, you've _never _spoken; so why today?"

I grinned and closed my eyes, my hair falling out of place a bit. Maybe I was adding to the drama unintentionally, maybe I spoke to her because I thought it would get it through her head that I'm only here to help. In any case, I told her, "Because I care enough about you to make you listen."

Her eyes fell back to the string.

I chuckled, "Goodnight, Ilia."

I heard her quiet reply as I descended. When my feet rested on the floor at the end of the ladder, I chuckled and turned out the lights.


	4. Chapter 4

*See author's homepage before reading

XxXxX

The loving caress of the morning sun's tendril rays stroked the soft skin of my cheek, as though to say, 'rise and shine, sleepyhead' with the sweet tone of a mother's voice. I groaned and stretched, not quite ready to face the day, not quite ready to roll out of bed and be put through a load of physical labor. Upon waking, however, as I lay there with my eyes shut, I had an odd thought, '_Today is going to be a strange day.'_

My eyes popped open and darted to the light shining through my window from an unfamiliar place. Was I upside-down on my bed again?

No, not today.

Momentarily, I panicked, thrashing about the sheets in a vain attempt to leap from bed. I tried in my fit to remember scraps of the previous night; it was a bit fuzzy, whether it be on purpose or on accident, but it was there.

"Oh Gods," I said, slapping a hand to my forehead when the realization finally hit me, "I'm in Link's room."

The quilts settled around my legs when I stopped battling them and it threw a pleasant aroma about the room. I turned my nose up into the air and breathed in heartily, "What is that delightful smell?" Throwing the heavy quilts off and crawling from the over-stuffed bed, I swung my legs over the edge and onto the sun-warmed patch of floor. With a long stretch and a wiggling of my toes, I raced for the ladder and slipped down as fast as I could without falling on my face. My nose lead me skidding into the kitchen and I dived for the oven, yanking open the door and greedily breathing in a deep whiff of the delicious smell.

"Ah! It's bread," I beamed.

As I sampled, I heard a bit of movement to my right and without looking I greeted it, "Good morning, Link."

No answer.

I rolled my eyes, reminding myself that he only spoke last night out of necessity and wouldn't be making a habit of it, so I turned to look at him, shutting the oven door, "Link, I –"

Link's face was flushed and his gaze lay only a few inches below my hips. Puzzled, I glanced down only to immediately wish I hadn't.

To my chagrin, I was wearing only a man's tunic and the hem was barely longer than my fingertips. As time froze, bits of the night before revealed themselves to me in a momentary flashback.

OoOoO

Just after I noticed the lights go out on the bottom floor, I leaped up to light a candle and locate something a bit more comfortable. I dug through Link's wardrobe, terrified I was going to find something naughty, like dirty paintings or erotic literature. Luckily, I saw only clothes and in them, dozens of plain tunics.

_'Ugh, more boring stuff. Link you seriously need to start taking fashion advice from me.'_

I slipped out of my clothes and into the top. Neatly laying my outfit over the dresser so it wouldn't wrinkle, I leaped back into bed and fell asleep.

OoOoO

My gaze shot back up to Link, who was now leaning over the counter with his head in his hands, the tips of his pointed ears a little pinker than usual. I quietly excused myself, stumbling here and there as I attempted to escape with most of my dignity, and darted back up the ladder to change. When I was done, I sauntered back into the kitchen and snapped, a little too haughtily, "You should've _told _me I wasn't dressed,you _lech._" I thought I heard him choke back a faint snort of laughter, but I couldn't be sure.

He pushed himself away from the counter and waved me off, just as I was about to scold him, and waltzed off to the dining room.

I was taken aback, how _dare _he walk away when I'm speaking.

I balled up my fists and stomped after him, "Link! I was talking to –"

I was cut short as he introduced me to my breakfast.

Regrettably, my eyes sparkled a bit at the mere sight of it all. Fresh bread and butter lay in a neatly sliced loaf on a cutting board with a small dollop of honey in the sugar dish. Boiled cuckoo eggs were already peeled and prepared with a pinch of salt and a rainbow of more autumn fruits than you could count were perfectly arranged in a large wooden bowl. The meal was complete with a jar of cold goat's milk which doubled as a centerpiece; I nearly fainted at the size of the feast.

"Is this for me?" I said, with a dash of what I thought might be astonishment.

He gestured, 'sort of' with a smile, then pulled out a chair for me.

I stared for another few seconds before it dawned on me that I was catching flies and my normal composure returned. I straightened up, smoothed my dress and took my rightful seat as Link pushed me in. He sat opposite of the stout wooden table and helped himself to the fruits first. I watched him peripherally as I dished my own breakfast; he was thoroughly enjoying biting into a crisp Ordonian honey apple. His eyes were closed and his cheek was full as he drew in a deep breath, and as usual, with a dopey smile plastered on his stupid face. I rolled my eyes and lackadaisically wiped a bit of butter onto my bread.

At first, my thoughts on his cooking were skeptical.

I stared at the boring, uninviting bread with distaste, knowing it wasn't going to be anything special.

It shared all of Link's characteristics.

I sneered a bit more at the bread, but figured I'd better fill up.

I snatched it up and took a bite.

The second my tongue touched the crust, my eyes almost started watering.

It was so delicious.

The bread was a perfect balance of fluffy and sweet, with the added cream and saltiness of the butter. I shook my head in disbelief, _'No way did he make this,' _I thought as I reached for an egg, biting into it with a similar reaction. My skepticism was slowly draining from me as I replaced it with the scrumptious breakfast. Next was the fruit, which was similarly divine and coupled with the milk, it created the perfect mixture of creamy and sweet.

When I finally realized I was sighing and groaning in amazement, I stopped dead and looked up at Link, who still had the same cheekful of apple and was staring at me with a raised brow. I swallowed my mouthful of grapes and sat up straight, brushing off my face with a napkin. After Link returned to his meal, I nearly sighed again, my eyebrow twitched in annoyance, _'Even I can't deny this food is better than mine. How does he do it! It's all from the same place! And I'm _better _than him, I should know everything about what makes good food!'_

Neatly dabbing the corners of my mouth, I said with a pinch of envy, "Well, Link. I must say, this food is rather good. What's your secret?"

He simply looked at me, cocking his head to one side and raising a brow.

My eyes shifted from side to side, "You know, secrets? What are your _secrets _to harvesting good fruit? Keeping milk fresh? Churning extra creamy butter?"

He continued to stare, as though I wasn't speaking a language he understood.

"Gah, never mind, you useless child."

He chuckled and took another bite of his apple.

When we finished, I left the table and waited in the front room for him to clean up. I glanced into the kitchen now and again to catch him dancing with no music, like a fool. I scrunched my lip in disgust, whispering to myself, "How can he do that? How can he just look like an idiot and not care?" It took me a moment, but when it occurred to me that he's just an idiot, it made much more sense.

By the time he was finished, it was nearly mid morning and we had planning to do. Link had tossed some maps onto the table that he had drawn on with red ink.

It appeared to be directions and references.

"Are these places you've been before?" I asked, unimpressed.

He nodded and tapped a spot on the map in Kakariko.

"What?" I looked more closely and it appeared to be a small, crudely drawn inn next to the main road. I snorted, "Is that what you call a house? It's ghastly!"

He chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

Why he was laughing about doing a poor job, I had no clue, but it didn't bother me, so I let it go.

By the looks of his drawings and mapping, it seemed the trip to Castle Town and back would take about two weeks.

"No problem. Go straight there, you come straight back and everyone lives happily ever after," I said with a grin, slapping a stack of parchment onto the table, "Now, to the real business."

Link looked at me quizzically.

"What to bring, what to bring..." I pondered, and quickly began jotting down all of the vitally important things that popped into my head, "I'll bring my perfumes and my soaps, certainly, and– Ooh! My cosmetics!"

Link waved his arms at me, vigorously shaking his head.

I laughed him off, "Link, there's no way I can live without these things, you know. You can bring all the survival junk and I'll stick to what I'm good at: being beautiful." I giggled girlishly, tossing back my blondish hair.

He rolled his eyes and snatched up the paper, quickly scribbling something onto the middle of the page. Annoyed, I blew a raspberry and leaned back on the sofa, "You just don't get it, do you, Link? The fact that _you're _telling me _not _to bring my beauty supplies shows that you clearly don't understand women. I mean–"

Before I could finish, he tossed the paper onto the table. On it, he had sketched a very accurate drawing of a bear tearing into a pack and eating what looked to be soaps and bottles of perfume. Behind said bear looked to be a caricature of me, hiding behind a tree with streams of tears shooting from my eyes.

I shot him a look that could curdle dairy and he crossed his arms; so much for my drawing jab. He was essentially saying that if I brought my 'indulgences', an animal would smell them and that could cause some trouble.

I waved my hand apologetically, "Of course, how silly of me. I won't bring _any _cosmetics, I swear," I said, holding my hand in the air and the cutest look of innocence I could muster.

He nodded quickly and climbed the ladder.

I was lying, of course, because the second he walked away, I drew a box around the portion of my list containing the cosmetics, flicking the pen off the paper with a wry smile.

Link returned from the second floor and tossed a pouch onto to floor at my feet, "What's this?" I asked, picking up the tiny bag. He pointed at the list, then at the purse.

"This? This is all the room I get? I have bigger _wallets_!" I shouted, throwing the miniscule change purse to the floor. It had quickly occurred to me that Link wasn't adding something to the equation, "Link, what about Epona? If I had a larger bag, Epona would be able to –" He shook his head slowly, throwing me a look that rose the hairs on the back of my neck. I jotted down a mental note not to ask Link about Epona again for a while. My little stunt three nights ago had kind of ruined that topic and made it a sore spot for the next few weeks.

I hurriedly tried to concoct ways to get away with a bigger pack, but Link was quick to shoot them down. His fists went to his hips and he looked at me with a raised brow, as if to say that I had any right to be argumentative by this point. I blew another raspberry and snatched the bag up again, tossing it to the table, knowingly defeated. As he stood there, I just so happened to notice that his was already full, "You didn't make a list," I stated bluntly, pointing at his satchel.

He raised both brows and glanced at his pack which was hoisted over his shoulder. Chuckling, he took a seat and showed me item by item what was inside.

It was filled to the brim with ropes and cloth and little jars. _'Yuck, all boring survival stuff.'_ I rolled my eyes as he pulled the strap back onto his shoulder with an ironic smile; something told me he was making fun of me, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly how. With that, I picked up the bag and excused myself to go home and pack.

The second my boot slipped in the door, my father was there to greet me, his huge arms crossed sternly over his chest. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" He said, a harsh bite to his words. I stood in the doorway, the sack relaxed pitifully against my leg. I looked up at him, a genuine look of worry on my pathetic face, unfortunately, he'd seen this same act _faked _a hundred times, "Oh no, that look won't work on me anymore, Ilia, not after Link told me what happened."

I tried desperately to interject, "Father, I –"

"Ah-ah-ah! None of that," he sucked in a deep, stable breath, and repeated himself, "Link told me what happened."

I eyed him in disbelief.

"Everything."

I nearly stomped my foot and threw a hissy fit right then and there, _'I knew Link was no good!' _I thought while I chewed my lip, _'Running off and tattling to my father the second he had a chance; that's so like him!' _Nervously, I wrung the strap of the bag; my attitude right now could affect whether or not I was going to Castle Town. Just as I considered that possibility, however, my worst nightmares had come to life.

He sighed, a hint of disappointment in his voice as he braced himself, "So, as punishment, I decided to call off the entire trip, even though you'd hate me –" I opened my mouth to cut in, bona fide tears now welling in my eyes, but he continued, "I didn't, however."

My ears pricked up a bit and the tears halted in their tracks.

"I made up my mind to let you go, but only because the your actions didn't put you in as dire straits as your last two escapades."

_'Not as dire? Last night was the _most _dire straits I'd been in in the three nights!' _I chose to snap my lips shut and wait for an explanation; I didn't dare give myself away for nothing, otherwise my father might actually call it off.

"As I understand it, Link found you wandering around his property last night and caught you before you fell into any more traps?"

I quickly nodded, keeping my mouth tightly sealed.

"And you stayed at his house because of the time of night?"

I nodded again; I was beginning to understand how Link felt.

I watched in a mixture of worry and anticipation for my father's verdict, when finally he said, "Allright, you're still allowed to go –" I leaped up to hug him with a shrill squeal, but he held out his hand, "_But!_" He leaned in toward me until he was within a hair's breadth from my nose, and whispered a breathy promise, "If I so much as hear rumor that you're giving Link any more trouble, I'll snatch you up so quick you won't know what hit you."

My eyes boggled a bit before I regained my composure, and I nodded in agreement, "Allright, father. I promise." I said, crossing my fingers over my heart.

He eyed me for a moment; I hoped he was reading honesty on my face, because I genuinely wasn't planning anymore escape attempts, not after last night _and _with Link getting me off the hook with my father. Finally he grunted a single, "Fine," and excused himself back to the den. Just before he was out of sight, he turned back toward me and leaned in the doorway, "By the way, Ilia," I still stood there, pack in hand, a bit in disbelief, "What made you change your mind after all those attempts to evade responsibility?"

My mouth finally unhinged and a sharp pang of electricity swept along my jawline. I realized I had been biting down so hard to keep quiet during my father's lecture that I had pulled several muscles in my jaw and neck; I rubbed it tenderly before considering an answer.

What was I to tell him? That Link's speaking had shocked me so much that it convinced me to just bite the bullet? Or perhaps that three separate faces with death had made me come around? Now that I had the time to just sit and consider it, I really didn't know why I changed my mind, just that whatever it was that helped me with my decision was powerful enough to get through my thick skull. I scratched my head a bit and looked up at my father, who stood in the doorway awaiting an answer, "I suppose I just realized that the world isn't what I thought it was," and just then, words, that I never thought I'd hear myself say, effortlessly fluttered from my lips, "You were right."

My eyes went wide and flew to the floor, simultaneously my heart jumped into my throat in a short fit of panic, _'Did I really just say that in front of my father! I'm such an idiot! Why! Why did I do that!' _I swallowed hard and locked up my jaw once more before flitting my gaze up to my father; his reaction was much less blaming than I first thought it would be.

He simply chuckled and said, "Well, I'm glad." With that, he disappeared.

A huge, triumphant grin spread like a weed over my face and I did a giddy dance, flying into my room, the door slamming closed in my wake.

It didn't take long for me to find the things I wanted to bring, but the tiny change purse Link had given me was almost useless. By the time I'd had trouble fitting things into it, I was only on the third item on my list; I had a feeling it was going to take a while. As I was cramming a dress into the satchel using my feet, a knock came to my bedroom door.

"Who is it?"

No answer.

With a dreadful sigh, I said, "Come in, Link."

He opened the door with an embarrassed smirk and took a seat on my bedside stool, his look changing from coy to confused. I realized my foot was still in the bag. I quickly jumped out and threw the pack on the bed, tossing him a glance that said not to ask.

He chuckled and stood, raising his brows and gesturing to the satchel.

I turned my nose up, jamming my fists onto my hips, "No, I don't need any help from you, _Link_."

He smiled that stupid smile again and emptied the pack, which held only two dresses, a wool blanket and a fur. He threw me a look that said, 'Really?' with a wry smile and a turned up brow.

"It seemed a better idea to put the cushiony items at the bottom!" I shouted.

He chuckled and patted the end of the bed, so I took a stubborn seat, crossing my arms like a child.

Link rolled his eyes and gestured to the dress; he picked it up and folded it lengthwise once, pulling it into a tight coil on the way down. When he showed it to me, it was much smaller than the poofy mess I was trying to stuff into the sack simply moments before. I grabbed it, and threw it into the bag. While I cleaned my fingernails, I heard Link rolling up the blanket and fur and then leave the room. I curiously eyed the door until he returned with a length of twine, and my gaze flew back to my hands. He trussed the two together with an added blanket, leaving them ready to tie to my pack once it was full. I glanced over and cantankerously crossed my arms again, in defeat. I knew he'd won this time, but I wasn't planning on letting him get used to it.

With a curt smirk, he hoisted himself off the stool and left. I was left steaming,_'Ugh. I _knew _it would go to his head.' _I opened up the bag and saw a single, tiny roll that was my dress taking up only a teensy portion of space. Reluctantly, I rolled my eyes, "Damn. I wish he wasn't right about that kind of thing, it hurts too much to have to admit it all the time." I decided the only thing worth remembering was the rolling trick, that way I could pack everything I wanted and even more.

Within a few minutes, my entire satchel was packed and I was ready to go. It wasn't until I tied up my pack, complete with blankets and furs, that the butterflies went crazy in my stomach.

I was about to leave home for the first time ever, with Link, to meet a man I would marry and spend the rest of my life with. I gulped a little too hard and wiped the perspiration from my brow. My whole life was about to start and it hadn't hit me until I was walking out the door. The nervousness only built as I left my room, readying myself to go outside and meet with Link. My boots carried me to the door, and my arm instinctively went for the handle; there was no stopping me now. My mind went blank as the door swung open and the warm afternoon sunlight came pouring in.

I was stepping out of that house an entirely different woman than I was just seconds ago.

It honestly didn't feel too different, but it was somehow new. Something about the air tasted sweeter, the grass looked greener.

I was on top of the world.

I didn't wait long before Link came gallivanting down the path from his house, donning a simple pack and a few weapons. I watched him in question, "Where are all your things?"

He looked at me like I was blind, but it quickly dawned on him that I'm not a survival expert. Link gestured to his pack, his pants, his back, and even his boots. I raised a brow; apparently he was brimming with supplies and utilized his whole body to do so. While I hated to credit Link with anything, that was pretty smart.

He turned off toward the sun and held a hand up to shield his eyes; it was almost time to leave I guessed, because just then, the town's folk came out of the woodwork and crowded around my house. My father appeared behind me and clapped the gigantic meat-paw he called a hand on mine and Link's shoulders.

I shook many hands and received even more hugs, ranging from the young and the old, to the short and the tall; the entire village was there to see us off. I wasn't sure what it was, but something welled in my chest that day that I would never forget. It felt like pride, but I knew what pride felt like, and this was similar, but somehow completely alien. Seeing the faces of these people who all had a hand in raising me from day one warmed my heart. For a brief second, I had considered staying there, the only place I could ever call home. That thought quickly vanished as I turned to the last person in Ordon I had yet to say goodbye to; my father.

He beamed down at me like it was the first time he'd ever seen me, "Ilia, my daughter," his warm eyes brimmed with tears only a parent would understand as he scooped me up in his powerful arms. At first, I wasn't sure what to do, but this was my father, the man who not only devoted his entire life to raising and caring for me, but the only person in Hyrule that could love me more than anyone else. I closed my eyes, tears freely streaming down my cheeks as my father held me.

The entire crowd had gone silent, and my father whispered in my ear, "I'll always love you more than anything in the entire world."

A lump formed in my throat as I fought back an onslaught of childlike sobs, "I'll always love you too, daddy."

He planted a firm kiss on the top of my head and let me go. I took a couple of steps backward, forgetting about the crowd until Link approached my side and stood with a glowing air about him.

"You take care of my daughter now, son." My father said, his voice laden with a strange mixture of worry and respect.

Link saluted him, a playful but stern look adorning his face and my father returned the gesture.

And with that, we were off.

My life had begun.


	5. Chapter 5

*See author's homepage before reading

Without a peep from me, Link and I walked to the entrance of Faron Woods in utter silence. I stared at the scuffed toes of my boots, the dust lightly settling on the very tips with every step. Link, as his usual quiet self, also stayed soundless as I tried to organize my brain, which was appreciated because I'd have ignored him anyway and not too kindly.

I found it a tad difficult balancing the journey to judge the entirety of my life and a whopping dose of unconditional love sinking in all at once. More tears threatened to escape, but I swallowed hard and turned my eyes skyward. A hundred questions raced through my head. I stared at the clouds above me, my gaze flitting to and fro, as though I might find the answers I sought somewhere in them.

A jarring cough to my right startled me as my mind rolled back into reality; my eyes fell to the daunting entrance of Faron Woods, which laid a stone's throw before me. Link stood with both hands on his satchel strap, the same dopey smile on his face, awaiting some kind of acknowledgment that I was ready. I shifted from the forest to Link and back. I hesitantly, shakily, took in the deepest breath of my life and readied myself for the first step out of Ordon and the first step of my journey. I wrung my hands around the straps of my bag and curled my toes inside my boots.

It was now or never.

I kicked one foot out in a plume of dust and expected fate to do the rest, to tug me in the right direction, to throw me into what was to be the greatest decision I'd ever made.

But alas, I cuckooed out.

I jerked back into the warm, welcoming light of Ordon, basking in its familiarity. I recalled how just the night before, I was so ready, so anxious to leave, and now that I was given the opportunity, I couldn't do it.

I looked to Link through a wayward glance for guidance. I wasn't about to throw him out the door so quickly when he'd proven over and over again that he knew better than me. Not that it was easy to admit, but it was still true.

With a nod and a usual smile, Link turned to take the first step in. I jerked my head up and quickly clapped a hand on his shoulder, "Link, wait!" He turned, looking startled, his lips slightly ajar and brows raised high, "I – um," I began nervously, feeling a bit foolish for surprising him, "I just wanted to thank you for..." I peeked up at him through my eyelashes and he just tilted his head in question, like a dog might. I shook my head,_'Just spit it out,' _I chimed.

"Well, for lying to my father. I know that probably wasn't easy for you to do, but you did it for my sake. For my happiness." With a sigh, I finished, "So, thank you." My eyes darted to my hands as I fiddled with a strap on my pack. I could tell Link was smiling again, and the rustling of his clothes told me he was running his fingers through his hair, probably embarrassed. I dared a glance away from the safety of my hands to find Link as I had suspected; rosy cheeked and eyes cast downward. In a fit of chagrin, he trotted out ahead of me into the now-not-so-scary Faron Woods. An optimistic smile spread across my cheeks as I thought to myself,_'That went extremely well. This trip might not be so awful after all.' _I hoisted up my pack and cantered after him.

I quickly realized I had spoken _much _too soon.

Within thirty minutes, I was wheezing and practically clawing my way up the hilly path of the woods. It was exhausting and honestly not that much of a sight to see. The claustrophobia-inducing tree canopy had thrown off my internal clock so I had no clue what time it was, the thickness of the damp, humid air was essentially suffocating, and the moss, dear Gods, was there a lot of moss. How much moss could possibly be crammed into one forest? How much moss did Faron Woods need? The wet, nasty, stainy stuff had blanketed everything, so every time I wanted to take a break, out came the tent canvas.

As I unfurled the rolled up cloth, I caught Link rolling his eyes, "So rude, Link! Don't you understand that I physically _cannot _sit on these roots and rocks with this abominable _moss _all over them? Is it so hard to comprehend that or is your immature mind so deep rooted with stupidity that you simply _won't _see it?" I nearly cringed at my own words. I might have been a tad cranky. That is until Link chuckled playfully at me.

_'Ugh, a child. A simple, little child I'm traveling with.' _The whole not-throwing-him-out-the-door idea was quickly sounding like a bad one on my part.

XxXxX

While she rested, I sarcastically rolled my eyes, totally aware that she was too exhausted to speak, which was perfectly allright in my book. My ears pricked up a bit, _'Speaking of books...' _I thought, slipping the pack off my shoulder. I rummaged around until I recovered a homemade notebook and graphite stylus, and proceeded to search for a patch of fairly dry moss. When I found one, I took a seat and began carefully sketching a group of multicolored mushrooms relaxing beneath the stoic shade of a massive tree trunk. My scribbles and scratches must've caught Ilia's attention, because through her exhaustion she began closing in on me, an air of childish curiosity about her. I thought about playing with her and hiding the notebook from view, but the only direction I foresaw that going was downhill. When she peeked up behind me and stuck her nose over my shoulder, I turned my head and gave her a quizzical look, which she immediately turned on her heel, attempting to play it off as though she was busy with something else. I snickered, which then spurred an acidic, "_What _are you laughing about?" This gave her an in to look at what I was doing.

I waved my hand, dismissing it, but that wouldn't settle it for her, no, not for Ilia. She obstinately stomped over and took an irritated seat next to me, her whole stubborn head now blocking my view of the pad. I softly laughed again and scooted a bit to the side, continuing my notes.

Ilia watched from a safe distance while slowly closing in on me, much like a predator does to its prey. I watched in curiosity from the corner of my eye as her expression slowly faded from cantankerous to wonderment.

As I drew, it occurred to me how much of a child Ilia really was. She always held herself in such high regard, so to see this curious, even innocent version of her was quite a change of pace. It was like she reverted back to her childhood self, where she was loud, boisterous and real.

Completely without guile. Not putting on airs. Just Ilia.

I smiled, remembering Ilia as a young girl, a precocious, spoiled child. Not a whole lot different from the Ilia I knew today. There was, however, something lighter and more carefree about her, even if just for a moment. This side of her was, dare I say it? Cute.

_'She might be old enough for a husband and maybe even children, but she's practically a child herself,' _I thought with a smile.

I had just finished off the last cap of the mushrooms when I glanced her way, this time she was nearly clamoring to sit on my lap. A mixture of uneasiness and wonder washed over me like hot water, and I quickly realized my ears had begun burning. I furrowed my brow in confusion and looked up just before my attention was pulled back to my sketch; Ilia had basically found her way on top of me and, forgetting herself for just a moment, blurted out, "Those are really good, Link."

Immediately clapping her hands over her mouth, I could tell she thought she'd made a huge mistake. She jumped up and regained her composure, straightened out her dress and dashed for the tent canvas that she'd left laying out. On her way back to pack up her bag, she gave me one last jab, apparently feeling the need to correct herself, "I mean, for amateur drawings those are decent, I suppose."

With her back to me, I rolled my eyes and upon doing so, happened to discover another patch of mushrooms of a different kind. These were large-capped brown mushrooms, contrary to the fairy circle I had just finished drawing. I quickly threw together another sketch, and snatched all but one of them up, scribbling down another note for myself. Just as I was putting the last touches on the mushroom section of the guide, Ilia hollered impatiently at me from a few yards away, "Oh, Princess Link! Whenever you'd like to get going would be delightful for me!" Another roll of my eyes and I snapped my pad shut, tossing it into the pack and I jogged off toward Ilia.

XxXxX

As I trudged on, Link was beginning to look more and more sprightly; I had a slight suspicion that he was somehow feeding on my misery. At some point between our first and second break, Link had retrieved the notebook from his pack and was stopping every few feet, leafing through the pages and scratching down more rubbish. With how intently he was involved in his notes, part of me was interested, but most of me was exhausted and therefore, I could not have been any more bored by it.

We must've repeated this whole episode three more times at least and after nearly two full hours of walking, I was growing slightly frustrated.

"Gah! Link!" I said, throwing my fists impudently down in a huff.

He slowly turned to face me, his eyelids relaxed and slightly dazed, as though he'd been caught up in something else. He nonchalantly cocked a brow in question, making serious light of my complaint. Link's attitude simply poured fuel on my already burning agitation, "It's been ages! Do you even know if we're going the right way?"

His eyes widened just a fraction more than I was comfortable with and he turned his back to me, looking around the path we were following.

It might have sent me into a small panic.

With a huge gasp, I shrieked, "What if we've been walking in circles this whole time! What if your little notes have been distracting you and we end up lost forever! What if I get eaten by a bear! You'd like that, wouldn't you!" I danced around waving my hands, imitating Link in a low, mocking tone, "'No more problems for me, no siree bob, because I'm Link, the big strong man! I don't need no woman telling me what to do! I've got it under control. I know! I'll stare at my little diary and draw pictures while leading Ilia around by her nose! Maybe then she'll get eaten by a bear and I won't have to put up with her anymore! Yeah, that sounds like a swell plan...'" My childish tirade lasted another few seconds, complete with arm flailing and frenzied screaming, before Link slowly faced me, tipped his head forward, and raised his brows, as if to ask, 'are you through?'

My balled up fists floated mid-swing on each side of my head, as though time had frozen in the middle of an imaginary fist fight. Feeling a bit foolish, I sighed heavily, dropping my hands and fixing my hair, each stray being put back in its place, "Allright, Link, allright," I said, much more calmly, "Well, _I _think we've been on our feet too long and _I'm _beyond exhausted." While continuing to primp, I turned a cautious eye to Link, who was facing away from me, and tempted, "What do _you _suggest we do?"

Then I braced myself. Wrung my fingers and bit my lip.

A few seconds passed and no bolts of lightning rained from the sky, no hellish fire storm brewed over my head, no gargantuan cracks in the earth that opened the realm of the dead. Admitting defeat was much less scary than I initially thought. I let down my guard and looked to Link who dropped his stylus into his journal, thoughtfully stroking his chin, his gaze running over the landscape in speculation. I imagined it was to judge whether or not we'd gotten far enough into the woods to be stopping. I was getting antsy watching him. I wasn't very good at waiting.

After what seemed like forever, he turned to me, held up one finger and bounded off. My eyes went wide and I clawed at thin air for the ghost of my guide. In shock, I sat on my knees, my arm still outstretched after Link.

"Ah-Link..." I cried feebly.

I thought for a moment about chasing after him, but he _had _told me to wait. Plus, with the added weight of my heavy pack there was no way I could keep up with him. I leaned back and plopped down onto my backside, scuffling backwards to hide behind a large tree trunk. Suddenly this forest seemed a lot bigger without Link.

OoOoO

I sat against the tree nervously picking at the ground, plucking out blades of grass and tossing them into my mouth. I chewed them quickly, needing to waste my pent up anxiety on something. I stared intently down the path where Link had run off to, the furthest mouth of the forest's arch over the dirt road, blackened by shadow, for the slightest hint of that dork's green hat. With a loud quivering sigh, I stood and stretched my restless legs, tucking my hands behind my head.

"Link... Hurry please," I whispered with closed eyes.

It was beginning to wear on my nerves that he was gone for so long. I looked up at the green, leafy sky and was disappointed to discover the canopy was still hanging over my head, making it difficult to judge the time. Another sigh escaped me as my gaze fell earthbound; I got a bit excited when it fell straight onto a patch of Whistle Grass just across the path. I smiled and trotted over, pulling a horseshoe-shaped blossom from the grass and played a jaunty tune, taking my seat by the tree again.

Playing the grass flute brought back memories of when Link and I were children. I recalled a time when I'd tried to show him how to use the whistle but his fingers were too short and uncoordinated to properly cover the holes. In a fit of childish frustration, he snatched up the whistle and sat for hours on our porch trying to twist his hands this way and that, contorting them in any way that would help fit the instrument. Later that evening, he'd come running into the house, showing my father how he'd taught himself another way to play it. Rather than playing it the way I'd showed him, he brought the mouth of the whistle to his lips from below and played it similarly to the way one would play a pan flute. At the time, I laughed at him simply for doing it differently, but since then it'd become obvious that this way was much better. I sighed, that familiar feeling of defeat sinking in.

I leaned back against the tree, "Link is just better at this whole survival thing than I am."

A light breeze rolled by, opening a halo of light through the forest ceiling above me. The warmth of what must've been the evening sun cascaded down onto my face and I welcomed it with a familiar smile. I wasn't that far from home, but something about the way the light burned through the tree tops and fluttered to the ground reminded me of Ordon. It was sweet, but kind of sad that I was already missing it. With my head leaned back facing the sun, I lightly whistled out a song.

Not more than a minute later, I heard the slapping of leather boots against the dusty dirt road. I sat straight up and squinted down the path to see a happy Link waving and running toward me. I jumped up, stamping my foot, "And just where did you take off to? I was sitting here forever!" I called down after him, waving my fist.

When he reached me, his expression had changed from a smile to a bit of a crooked frown. I stood tapping my foot with my hands on my hips.

He smirked and told me never to mind, gesturing over his shoulder for me to follow.

"Follow you? Where? Did you find somewhere to stay the night?" My tone lightened a bit.

He nodded, turned on his heel and started to walk away.

In a fit, I scoffed, "What? _More _walking? Link! I thought I told you I was tired and wanted to rest for the night!"

I could tell he was ignoring me, because he kept walking with a much too cheerful swagger.

When he didn't answer, I chased after him and demanded, "Are we going to stop or not?"

Suddenly stopping and whipping around toward me, he crossed his arms and eyed me hard.

I shoved my hands right back on my hips and leaned forward, eying him right back. If he wanted to play the stubborn game, I would win. I always won.

And this time was no exception.

I watched his mouth wriggle a little bit as he broke into a smile. He couldn't be serious, even for a second. I stood up straight, rolling my eyes. He smiled even bigger and tugged me by my finger, telling me to hurry up.

As we passed by the Whistle Grass, he leaned down and plucked one up, bringing it to his lips and playing a silly, folksy tune while we walked. It took me a moment, but when I'd realized he was playing it to the beat of my steps, I shoved him, just a bit too hard, into the bushes.

He let out a startled yelp as he stumbled backwards into the brush. He looked up, leaves poking out of his hair this way and that, and laughed.

I giggled charmingly, a bit of a teasing chime in my voice, "Whoops!"

He blew a stray hair from his face, smiling back at me. Hoisting himself up, he brushed off his tunic and began to play the whistle again, this time a slow, calming song. We followed the path together, accompanied by the serene hoots of Link's whistle.

OoOoO

XxXxX

Night had fallen and it fell quickly, the darkness of the evening settled around us like a winter blanket and only the light of the fire kept us from being enveloped, too. The thick black sky draped the trees around us in a comfortable shadow, like that of a dark bedroom when it's time to sleep, tucking its dusky wings around us until morning. As the sun settled behind the mountains, I had since set up camp. Unfortunately, I had to do _all _the preparations for the night, from readying the canvas to fetching water. I did it all with absolutely no help from Ilia, but I suppose that was to be expected. Although her one chore was to find firewood, she had disappeared for almost a half hour only to return with a small handful of sticks. I rolled my eyes and decided it might just be easier to find some myself.

With the eventide tasks finished, I thought I might try to learn Ilia in the art of adventuring. I smiled as I retrieved my guide, flipping through the generous pages with a feeling of pride lightly swelling in my chest. I'd worked on this handbook especially for her the last few days and was excited to teach her all about the wilderness, although I was skeptical about her level of interest. I turned to her and watched as she rifled through her pack to unearth her hairbrush, and upon discovering it, kissed it tenderly and ran it through her hair. Another roll of the eyes from me.

I took a seat next to her as she primped, spurring an annoyed, "What?"

I gestured to the leather bound book.

"Oh gee, you made me a book? How exciting," she spat in a rotten tone.

Her attitude ruffled my feathers a bit, so I snatched her brush from her hand, mid stroke.

"Hey-!"

I dropped it down the front of my tunic, and watched in childish amusement as her face twisted from angry to furious bewilderment. Her mouth hung slightly ajar as she stared at my belly in disbelief, the hate in her eyes was tangible.

"You're a real piece of work, Link," she grumbled through clenched teeth.

I raised my brows teasingly and tugged at the neck of my tunic, daring her to go for it. Honestly, I didn't foresee her suddenly becoming a raging Ordonian buffalo and snarling at me with a face as red as a beet, "I wouldn't touch you with the sharp end of a sword, you lech!"

She leaped up and started off toward the woods, but I chuckled and quickly grabbed the hem of her skirt, gently tugging her back to me. Throwing me a pointed look, she spat, "Anymore of that, Link, and my father won't have to worry about _me _dying."

I laughed again and put up my hands in surrender.

Ilia eyed me sharply.

I smiled apologetically with a bit of a pouty lip, hoping we might actually get some learning done before morning. There was no way she could resist my charms. At least that's what I initially thought until she took a swing at me. Dodging the blow and taking it in the chest rather than the face, she seemed satisfied just getting a hit in, so with a smile, I patted the ground next to me.

"Link, I really don't feel like reading, especially after today. In fact, I can barely stand being close to you after that stunt you just pulled."

Waving an imaginary flag, I promised no more tricks, drawing a cross over my chest.

Rolling her eyes with a scoff, she reluctantly plopped down onto the fur I was resting on, keeping a safe distance. I reached into my tunic and grabbed the brush, holding it out to Ilia who took it between two fingers with a disgusted look on her face. I snorted a bit and tried to fix my screwed up expression before she whipped around and saw me. Biting my cheek, I shook my head and cracked open the book.

Together, we leafed through the table of contents and I showed her how to find each section of the guide. We'd barely started before she began complaining, "This is awfully boring. It's not like it's life or death if I don't know this stuff..."

I threw her a look that said, 'you're kidding, right?'

In turn she threw up her arms, "What Link? I thought that's what _you _were here for! So I didn't have to try to do it myself!"

Running my fingers through my hair in a bit of frustration, I decided to push it. It was important that she know these things. Flipping through the pages, I got to the flora section I'd been working on that afternoon. I tapped the page.

"So? This is the one you were drawing today. I watched you do it."

I grimaced a little. Sometimes, she was too thick for her own good. I ran my finger along the words, as though I was studying them.

"Read it?"

I tapped my nose.

"Uh, no. Like I said, I shouldn't have to know this stuff. That's _your _job."

I tossed the book into her lap and got up to leave.

"Uh—W-wait! Where do you think you're going?"

I gestured an eating motion.

"Supper?"

Bingo.

"S-so, what am I supposed to do?"

I shrugged my shoulders and mockingly pretended to brush my hair, fluttering my eyelashes and flitting my hands out in a girly fashion. That earned me a book to the face.

I caught it after it slid off my cheek and chuckled, tossing it back to her.

"Jeez, it's like nothing fazes you, Link," she said, flipping through the pages.

I shrugged again.

"It's so annoying."

Shaking my head with a smile, I began preparations for supper.


	6. Chapter 6

XxXxX

I flipped through the survival guide as Link relaxed on the fur next to me, offhandedly prodding the fire beneath the pot of our supper. Stretching my neck a bit, I occasionally glanced into the cauldron of stew and made a face at the distasteful brown swill threatening to boil over. I sighed, and with my knees pulled up to my chest, I continued to nonchalantly leaf through the handbook.

There wasn't much to see outside of the pictures and reading wasn't my style; what I found it more entertaining was watching Link prepare supper as he chopped up vegetables and tossed them into the kettle. Eying him carefully, I approved of the carrots, potatoes, and pumpkin, it all looked fairly edible so far but winced as he carelessly threw in some herbs and what looked like a clove of garlic. His inattention made me nervous and I swallowed a bit; it was like he was throwing in whatever was within arm's reach, whether it was food or not. I tried to keep in mind the last time I judged his cooking, how amazed I was, and that I was starving, but one slip was all it took for me to completely lose my appetite.

Dipping a spoon into the stew, he took a sip and quietly smacked his lips, looking thoughtful. Too casually, I turned the pages and took quick glances at the pictures so he wouldn't harass me, but my gaze inevitably turned back to Link, _'He'd better not be trying to poison me...'_

Just as the thought crossed my mind, Link perked up and rummaged into his pack, pulling out the brown mushrooms he'd picked this afternoon, casually tossing them into the pot before I could stop him.

My face scrunched into an expression most unpleasant, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Link! Are you trying to kill me?! I don't think so! I'm not eating anything with mushrooms! Throw it out. Start over."

He looked at me through dilated, bewildered eyes, like I was crazy for even suggesting it.

"I mean it, throw it out," I said, waving my hand and turning my attention back to the text.

Looking a bit confused, he smirked and shook his head, turning back to his soup and dishing two bowls worth anyway.

When he held one out to me, I nearly gagged, "Get that abomination _away_ from me! I said I'd eat absolutely nothing with mushrooms in it. _Nothing!_" The book snapping closed with finality.

Link simply rolled his eyes and placed the bowl next to my legs on the fur.

I eyed it warily.

When I wasn't paying attention, Link leaned over and snatched the guide from my hands.

"Link! So rude! I was reading that."

He gave me a sarcastic look, 'Were you though? Really?' he seemed to say.

Disgruntled, I crossed my arms and stuck my tongue out at him.

Stylus in hand, he quickly sketched into the notebook something I couldn't see. He pushed the page into my face and I saw what seemed to be a very ugly and haggard me, hunched over next to a very sprightly character that looked like Link, who was energetic and alert.

"That's supposed to be me?"

He nodded with a raised brow, the same way a mother might when she's scolding you to eat your vegetables. This scenario wasn't too far off.

I turned away with a sardonic shrug, "I'll just have to eat some bread for tonight. Maybe that'll teach you not to put mushrooms into our supper next time."

With another roll of his eyes, he wrote out, 'Won't be enough,' and showed me the book again.

"My foot it won't be enough," I said sourly. There was no way he was going to get me to eat that mess, no matter how bitter he was about his terrible cooking.

Scribble scribble, 'Vegetables have nutrients.'

I put my palms sarcastically on my hips, "Do they now? I never would've guessed. Sometimes you're so stupid, Link."

Scribble scribble, 'Hungry again in an hour.'

Brushing him off, I got up and began digging through his pack, tossing his things on the ground left and right.

"Whatever you say, Link, but I really don't care what you think. I've gone to bed without eating loads of times, it's a good way to keep your figure if your father decides to make something fattening for supper," I said, finding the bread. I pulled off the paper and tossed it into the fire, "You should take some beauty tips from me. You don't look like you're in your prime adventuring condition," I said, patting my belly.

Link simply pinched the bridge of his nose, looking a little bothered. I watched him indignantly as I munched away on the loaf of bread. After a few seconds, he ran his fingers through his hair with a smile and shrugged it off, grabbing the bowl from the fur and dumping it back into the pot.

He leaned over to his satchel, dropping his things neatly back into it, fetching another loaf and broke off a small chunk. Quietly eating my bread, I watched him slurp down his soup and clean out the bowl with his piece. We ate in relative silence, and by the end of each of our meals, I was stuffed and Link was looking energized and satisfied. He hops up with a bit of perk and throws the lid on the pot, apparently thinking that we'll have that for breakfast in the morning. I snorted at the thought. Link yanked the branches of the spit from the dirt and tossed them on the ground, turning to go wash his dishes in the river.

I stood up with a stretch and brushed the crumbs from my dress. I took my seat again just as he returned, and I watched quietly as he took care of the after supper chores. Poking through the guide again, I came across the page where Link had sketched us. I chuckled, but looking a bit closer at Link's little self portrait, I muttered absentmindedly, "...Those don't look right..."

Unfortunately, it was loud enough to cause Link, who had returned from the river, to look over at me and raise his brows in question.

"What?" I snapped, embarrassed.

He shrugged his shoulders and turned to get back to work.

"Uh," I started, feeling a bit bad for barking at him, "it's just that, your eyebrows don't look like these ones do."

He raised both brows, his expression saying, 'Really?' When he came to look, while drying his bowl, he gestured for me to explain.

"See, your eyebrows are sharper here," I lightly poked the highest point of his arch, "and they feather out at about here," I brushed my fingertip along his brow. I pulled away, a bit shy, "You have blonde eyebrows, you see. _Dark_ blonde, but still blonde, so the outer part of your eyebrow is thinner and lighter than the inside." He glanced from the guide to me, looking impressed. Turning away, I felt my face light up, "I-it's just because I know about cosmetics and have to pay attention to this sort of thing. Don't get too ahead of yourself there, pal," I chided, flicking his forehead.

He nods his head with a not-so-serious, 'Oh yeah, I'm sure that's what it is' vibe, but I decide to let it go. I was too exhausted to deal with his insolence at the time, and it was something that would earn him a snake in his bed if I happened to wake up before him. As Link got back to work, I stuck my tongue out at him again before preparing for bed.

I had Link show me where he was getting the water, so he tied a rope from a tree next to the campsite and lead it out toward the river, tying it around my wrist.

As he turned to leave, I piped up, "I'm not a child, Link. The river's less than a stone's throw from camp."

He threw me a look that said, 'Just in case,' which I was fine with. I was less likely to be eaten by a bear if Link decided to withdraw the rope and there was a frayed, bloody end where I used to be. I shuddered and quickly finished my business, washing my face and slurping down some water.

When I returned, Link was readying himself for bed, untying his tunic and undershirt. It hadn't occurred to me until just then, but I had no clue what Link slept in. My eyes went wide, '_What if he __sleeps... In the nude?'_

I spied in a mixture of horror and curiosity at the edge of the woods, like a peeping tom, as Link undressed. When he finally realized what I was doing, he smiled warmly and pulled a long flaxen shirt over his head. Letting out a huge sigh, I relaxed and grabbed my own night gown from my pack. Link turned to face me and I just happened to notice the front of the shirt laying open with a lazy lacing of a drawstring crossing over the top. I felt my face burning a bit again and nearly slapped myself, _'What's wrong with me? Get it together, Ilia!'_

I quickly excused myself and shuffled a bit into the woods, changing fast, and slipping into my furs before Link saw my cherry red ears. To no avail though, unfortunately, because as he got comfortable and doused the fire, I heard the light rustling of his furs followed by a small chuckle and my cheeks went aflame once more.

OoOoO

It was terrible, the grumblings and the pangs of my hungry belly, but what was worse was that Link was right.

Again.

More than an hour later, there I laid, eyes wide open and hungrier than I thought I'd ever been. The protests of my insides roared so loudly in my ears, in fact, I was afraid it might wake Link. I rolled to and fro in my furs, complaining in a quiet whisper, "Of _course_ he doesn't snore. Of _course._" Luckily, though, his quiet breathing was just enough to drown out the sounds of my now more-than-obvious mistake. I made a few feeble attempts at getting back to sleep, but it became painfully apparent that wasn't going to happen, because within seconds of my eyes closing, the violent twinges of hunger wracked my middle and I clutched my belly as I pathetically crawled over to Link's pack.

Once again, dragging out every last item in his bag, I shoved my fist into the dirt in defeat, "No!" I snapped hoarsely, "The rest of the bread is gone..." I hung my head pitifully. The roiling storm in my gut brought another wave of mind-numbing cramps. A bit delirious from my overwhelming hunger, I found Link's flint and steel and cracked them together, fashioning a torch, "If I don't go far from camp, he'll never know I'm gone," I surmised. Slipping my boots on and daring a glance over to Link, it seemed he was fast asleep with a light smile played on his lips. I rolled my eyes, "Even in his sleep he has that stupid look on his face." The noisy gurgling of my stomach told me impatiently that I didn't have time to mess around any longer. With that, I gently held my abdomen, turned and made my way into the brush.

The first few steps out of sight weren't as scary as I first anticipated. Just my walking through the grass was clearing a fairly stark path, the foliage bent and wavered as I made my way deeper into the woods. Every so often, however, I'd turn on my heel and make sure my path was properly cleared. I didn't want any mishaps, especially since I'd been wrong and the last thing I wanted was for Link to rub my nose in it.

Once I was out of Link's earshot, I no longer had to tiptoe and continued my search for food with all the stomping and trampling entailed, but, unfortunately there were scarcely any bushes, mostly tall grass and trees with pine needles; it was evident I had to push further until the scenery changed unless I wanted to be eating pinecones. I made a face at the thought and soldiered on, my angry belly still demanding something to be done about its upset. As I trudged through the underwood, just about to give up hope and turn around, I stumbled upon some bright red berries dangling tantalizingly from a small group of bushes.

"Oh Gods, finally!" I exclaimed, hurrying over to gobble them up. Just as I grabbed a handful, though, it occurred to me, "Link's guide," I pondered aloud and quickly patted myself down in search of it.

Upon not finding it, I groaned and slapped my free hand to my forehead, the realization hitting me just as hard, "I left it in my pack."

OoOoO

XxXxX

It was definitely still nighttime when I opened my eyes. The thick darkness might have blinded me, but it hadn't effected my sense of smell. There was a lingering scent of smoke dancing in the air, burning cloth and oil, maybe wood, though the fire had been out for a while. Cautiously, I sat up and felt around for my satchel, but before my hand even reached it, I discovered my flint and steel, thrown carelessly in the dirt. I gripped them and pursed my lips with an irritated groan.

Ilia.

Not again.

I quickly brought the fire roaring back to life only to find Ilia's bedding tousled and empty. I rubbed my eyes with my fingers in frustration, dragging my hands down the length of my face and letting my expression relax into 'find Ilia mode'. Quickly, I dawned my trousers and boots, tucking in my tails of my shirt and slinging the straps of my weapons over my shoulder. With a sigh, I wiped my hand across my forehead, peering out toward the river, and of course, no sign of her. There was, however, a very clear and clumsy path heading east, which had to be Ilia. I hoisted up my sheath and quiver, and set off, my heartbeat slowly climbing into my throat.

OoOoO

XxXxX

It took a bit of recalling and reasoning, but I finally convinced myself that just eating one of the mysterious red berries wouldn't kill me. I popped one in my mouth, quickly chewed and swallowed. My eyes tightly shut, my mouth pursed like I'd just licked a lemon, and I waited patiently for my inevitable doom.

When, of course, nothing happened, I opened one eye warily and cautiously went for another.

Still nothing.

Relaxing, I happily began picking them by the fistful and scarfing them down faster than my jaws could chew. The berries were sweet with a slight hint of sour; they were crisp, much like a currant or small grape, and left a cool, minty sensation on my tongue. Unfortunately though, there weren't many berries to be had, so I reluctantly had to move on from my tasty discovery.

Smiling, I congratulated myself and scorned Link in the same breath, "See, Link? I'm a natural. I didn't need you in the first place."

Feeling triumphant, I moved further into the woods, and the environment quickly began to change. There were no longer great, leafy trees looming overhead, they thinned so much, in fact, that the brightly moonlit sky was visible and my torch was almost superfluous. Thinking ahead, however, and for fear of losing my only source of light, I kept a tight hold on the torch, figuring I'd better hurry and find some more food before Link woke up and found me missing. No sooner had the thought crossed my mind when I came upon a small group of familiar yellow-orange flowers.

This time, and to my dismay, I remembered them from the guide as 'calendula', a small, edible flower whose petals needn't be cooked before consumption. I sneered a bit as I picked one and chewed its colorful petals, "Hmm," I pondered aloud, "spicy... These are good, but not very filling. I don't think they're just for eating plain, but I bet they'd be tasty in a soup or salad, or if made into a tea."

I plucked up a few more and held them under my nose, drawing in the sweet, citrus-like scent. Grabbing a big leaf from a stray branch and wrapping up my flowery findings, I stuck them in the pocket of my smock and continued my search.

As I pressed on, it didn't take long for me to discover more and more that I remembered from Link's journal, all kinds of edible roots, nuts, and herbs. It hadn't yet dawned on me, though, that my memory was growing fuzzier with every step I took. The lessons I'd learned closer to camp were fresher in my mind, and therefore, easier to recall, but the further from camp I walked, the lessons were multiple hours old. It wasn't until I found the bushes full of black berries that I realized I couldn't remember a thing from the guide past the herbs.

I tried in vain to list off what I did know, hoping to bring up a stubborn memory tucked away beneath my cockiness, "O-Okay, there was the calendula, the fireweed, the pea blossoms..." I trailed off, hopelessly trying to remember something about these strange black berries, but still to no avail.

"Maybe... maybe I should just go back now..." I wondered, looking back down the path I'd made, but the swift and ever-loud grumbling of my belly was the answer to that.

Convinced by ravenous hunger, I reached out and drew a berry from its stalk and examined it under the light of my torch. It looked allright; it was pure black, and shiny, a bit like a spider. I made a face and scratched a bit of the skin off, gingerly tasting the juice. It was sweet, very sweet in fact.

I smiled nervously, "Something that tastes this good wouldn't be poison, right?" I popped it into my mouth and went for more, driven against my more intelligent brain by hunger. There were so many berries this time around, I was finally able to get my fill and I leaned my back against the trunk of a tree. As I patted my now full belly, I immediately regretted it, as a sharp pain tore through my abdomen, I grunted, holding my stomach and looking a bit confused.

"Ugh, I must've eaten too fast..." I surmised, hoping it would pass before going back to camp.

It never passed.

Within minutes, the cramps in my stomach were tens of times worse than my hunger pangs, so much so, that I wished more than anything I was back at camp, struggling with starvation. Nearly gasping for breath, I could feel my chest heaving and my arms shaking, but all sensation in my legs had vanished. In a panic, I began crying and slapping my thigh fruitlessly. I couldn't feel a thing.

It was in the epicenter of my panic attack, that off in the distance, and I couldn't be totally sure, but I thought I heard a branch snap.

My sobbing immediately ceased.

I scrambled for the torch and spun my head around, listening carefully. The sound that rang through the forest lingered; I definitely heard right, it was a branch snapping, and a big one. All ambient noise had ceased, and the only sound that kept me company was the light crackling of the flame of my torch. Whatever it was either wasn't there, or knew that I knew it was there. I quickly scanned the area through watery eyes for a safer place to spend the night and spotted a nearby alcove.

I leaned forward in an attempt to drag myself to the cave when another bout of excruciating pain ripped through my body and I collapsed onto my side, desperately trying to muffle my screams. The instant I made even the slightest twitch, it felt like thousands of spines shot from my bones in every direction, much like a sea jelly's tendril when it feels threatened. Everything I was doing, my body was attempting to force me to do the opposite, but I knew I couldn't lay out in the open like this. It wasn't safe.

Clutching my belly, I crawled toward the opening in the rocks, my lips clamped shut, tears streaking my face. I'd never thought I'd want Link's help more than I did right then, but I knew I didn't have it in me to scream for him. I could only hope he'd find me before I perished, either by poison, or whatever it was that was stalking me just outside the cavern in the shadows. When I reached the cavern, I managed to dig out a small pit and line it with foliage. I nestled down inside, and with the last of my strength, covered myself and laid down in the mess of leaves to ride out the next few hours of mind numbing pain. Every few seconds now, a zap from the pins in my bones kept me alert, and I listened hard for the creature outside, and just when I thought it might be safe to breathe, another branch snapped and tumbled to the ground, this time, much, much closer.

XxXxX

I unknowingly moved faster than I thought my body would go, but it didn't surprise me in the least bit. I'd dragged my body through hell and back in my journeys past, surviving on the impossible, a little lack of sleep was infinitesimal, although it didn't make me any happier about the whole matter. Through the long grass and among the leaves my legs carried me, hot on Ilia's clumsy trail. I muttered quietly, slurs and expletives amid my incoherent grumblings. I was livid, and that was about the only thing propelling me to find her and drag her by her hair back to camp. Able to spot several places she'd already been by following her blunderous footwork, the cluster of bootprints here and there were unmistakable; those tiny feet didn't belong to anyone but Ilia.

I rolled my eyes and turned my torch northwest to follow her path, relieved that she'd at least started making her way back towards camp. About one quarter hour into my search, her amateur stumbling about lead me to a thinner area of forest where, lo and behold, there were dozens of duskberry bushes. I slapped a hand to my forehead the instant I spotted duskberry bush leaves scattered all over the ground; she'd been eating them and hadn't referenced the guide. Knowing she couldn't have gotten far, it didn't take me long to find her curled into a ball in a small carved out alcove in the rock.

I chuckled and heard her groan, struggling to bring her arm up out of the ditch, she lugged it up and flopped it on the ground, one finger feebly pointing outward. I raised a brow and turned to glance behind me.

There, of course, was nothing there.

I sighed and, thinking she must be delusional from the poison, gently grabbed her wrists and tugged her out of the cavern. I looked her over a bit pathetically, lifting her arms and her head to check for injuries. She was fine, but tomorrow morning wasn't going to be fun. I chuckled, and just as I hoisted her up out of the pit and tossed her over my shoulder, a sound lit up the forest like a wildfire.

A feral roar tore through the air and rang viciously in my ears like lightning.

I went rigid.

Then, the all-too-familiar sound of rapidly approaching claws thunderously striking the ground in sets of four told me instantly the only thing I didn't want to know.

Something was charging me and I was going to have to fight it.

In one fluid movement, I tossed Ilia into a pile of leaves, drew my bow and arrow, mounted it, and faced my attacker. Only, to my dismay, my attacker wasn't something you could shoot with a measly arrow and call the job done.

It was a thirty hand High Ordonian black bear.

I lowered my bow, gawking hopelessly upward, "Oh, come on..."

Rocking onto its back legs, it snarled and swung its massive paw, pummeling my entire body into the the face of the jagged cliff face. On impact, my ears were ringing with the sickening sound of my now possibly splintered shoulder cracking and crumbling against the stone.

My vision blurred, but the instant my boots touched the dirt, I dove for my bow, mounted it once again and released it at my rushing assailant. The arrow brushed against the bear's fur and seamlessly slipped away, striking a nearby tree trunk.

Knowing I couldn't draw another arrow in time, I struggled to my feet to make a dash for Ilia, but the powerful jaws of the bear got to me first, latching onto my bicep and sinking a good number of its razor sharp teeth into the meat of my arm. A mind numbing pain ripped pointedly through my left side and the aural manifestation escaped from my throat.

I quickly drew my sword and, with a fierce roar of my own, sank it deep into the bear's eye. It immediately released me, moaning in distress as it stumbled backward on its hind legs, clawing at the blade's hilt protruding from its skull.

It dug hopelessly at its eye, whining and whimpering in pain. The instant it I could, I leaped for my sword, yanking the blade from its bloody eye socket. It howled and batted furiously at me as I grabbed two fistfuls of its fur and vaulted from its shoulders, the momentum of my fall jerking it sideways and sending it crashing to the ground, roiling in pain on its back. My boots skidding in the loose dirt, I spun around and made another jump for it, this time landing on its chest and reluctantly striking into the soft tissue of its chest. At first it drew in a deep, ragged, surprised breath but it didn't fight much longer, a feeble swing or two, and slowly, it let out a long, sad cry, closed its eyes, and quietly met its death. As I knelt on it, one knee in its belly, and both hands on the hilt of my sword, I felt the last of its life slip away from its body, and I sighed in resignation.

I stepped off it, wiped the blood from my sword on my trousers and limped to Ilia, who still lay paralyzed on the pile of leaves. I hoisted her up, losing my balance once, sending the two of us tumbling to the ground, but apologized and tried again. Just out of the clearing, I turned and took one last look at the slain bear and shook my head sadly, turning back to the trail and silently, we made our way back to camp.


	7. Chapter 7

XxXxX

OoOoO

The earliest morning rays shone down on my face, bleeding beams of the new day directly into my eyes. Annoyed, I shielded myself from the sun and rolled onto my side, but try as I might to get back to sleep, the swill in my gut whirled up and around like a tornado into my throat. Barely managing to clap a hand over my mouth and scramble to the brush, I retched and emptied my stomach of its apparently disagreeable contents. I sat up and groggily wiped my mouth. Vomiting seemed to come as second nature to me, seeing as it was happening an awful lot these days.

When the heaving finally ceased and my breath caught up with me, I got a good eyeful of my upturned guts and it consisted entirely of some kind of black sludge. A bit panicked, I shuffled backwards and instantly, memories of the night before came flooding back: My refusal to eat dinner, my attempt at scavenging food for myself, Link's daring rescue.

I cringed and bit my lip at the thought, slowly turning my head to see Link laying flat on his back, atop his furs, a smile no longer adorning his goofy face, but instead a light grimace. He was fully dressed, his left arm wrapped hastily in a bloody sling, that same shoulder rested back a bit further than his right one; something told me it was dislocated.

I covered my mouth to stifle my shock, "My Gods, Link..."

Quietly, I took a seat next to him and made an attempt to move the sling, to see the damage done to his forearm, but the second my fingers grazed the cloth, he drew in a sharp breath through his teeth, turning his head away from me with a long, pain-drenched groan. Immediately jerking my hand away, I couldn't help but hang my head a bit. With Link in such a sorry state, there was no way we'd continue all the way to Castle Town.

We could be stuck in this rut for days.

"Stupid, _stupid_ Link," I muttered, balling up my fists. I quickly stood, grabbed his water skin and huffed off toward the river, "This isn't my fault, I _know_ it isn't... If Link had just left well enough alone, I wouldn't be in this mess..." I glanced back over my shoulder, "And neither would he."

As I dipped the skin into the water, I looked at my reflection in the water's surface, and nearly gasped, "My Gods, I look ghastly!" I groaned, combing my hair and washing my face. It hadn't occurred to me until just then, but I should've counted myself lucky that I had woken up earlier than Link.

Back in Ordon, _no one_ was permitted to see me before I had visited my vanity and done my morning routine, so that was going to be a problem. Then there was the issue of carrying any of my cosmetics in the first place. Link had specifically told me before we began this journey that I was _not _to bring any cosmetics, but to bring only the essentials. So, I ask, what is a woman without her makeup?

While I finished up and popped the cap back onto the water skin, I noticed in my reflection, a small grouping of bruises on my bicep. Upon closer inspection, I was able to place each one of my fingers to them, one by one, until it hit me, "Link! You barbarian!" I shouted back toward camp, "These horrific bruises are from you!" I slumped backwards onto my bottom and gingerly poked one, followed quickly by a stupidity induced 'ouch'.

I sighed a bit, knowing Link was much worse off, and images of the night before came roaring back. From where I laid, there wasn't much to be seen, but Link fought valiantly, striking the bear with his arrow, leaping onto its back and thrusting his sword into its chest. However unwilling I was to admit it, even _I_ thought Link proved himself pretty brave last night... and all for my sake. With a sigh, I knew well enough that there wasn't a chance that I could have dealt with that situation alone, and that I was lucky Link went looking for me. Unfortunately, the words would never form on my tongue, and he would never hear them. Whatever mental gymnastics I had to do to make this Link's fault, I would do.

"Gah!" I exclaimed, throwing the skin up onto the shore, "Why, Link?! Why do you always have to show up and be the hero?! Why can't you leave well enough alone?!" The all-too-new feeling of guilt washing over me, I stormed back to camp, plopped down next to him, and held my head in my hands.

"Stupid, _stupid _Link..." I repeated. I sat next to his sleeping form and felt sorry for myself for another few minutes before that 'guilt' thing kicked in again, and I thought the gesture of making him breakfast would begin to pave the road to my forgiveness.

I stood up, brushed myself off and spent the better portion of the morning putting Link's items back in his satchel, laying out new bandages for him, and gathering kindling to start a fire. I wouldn't be gone long, so, tying a small piece of string around Link's finger, I followed the path west through Faron Woods, this time, however, remembering the guide.

As I carried on down the path, I played catch with the guide, tossing it into the air and snatching it up again while I tried in vain to come up with a menu for that morning's breakfast. With a loud sigh, for the third time just that morning, I groaned aloud, "I didn't realize how hard it is to cook without a kitchen," I admitted, "Maybe it'd be best to leave this kind of thing to Link, I mean, he _has _had all the practice."

I lobbed the book into the air again, only to have it come crashing down onto my face and tumble into the grass just off the path, "Really?!" I complained, rubbing the red mark on my forehead, "_Of course_ it had to hit me in the face..." I snatched up the hem of my skirt and dropped to my knees in the overgrown weeds, "It's around here somewhere-" I mumbled, groping around blindly, when my fingers brushed over something smooth. "Oh?" I said, caught a little off guard, "Now what is this?" I said, plucking it from the foliage and examining my discovery, "Oh, it's a cucco egg," I muttered, taking a quick glance behind me, "but cuccos aren't wild. What in the world is this doing just sitting here?"

Not thinking much of it, I dropped it into my smock, quickly found the guide, and counted myself lucky for the second time that morning and continued down the path. A bit further on, just a stone's throw from the first, I found another, and then another after that. Within minutes, I had collected more than a half dozen eggs and was beginning to wonder if perhaps some rogue cuccos had escaped from their yard. I soon discovered my suspicions were correct; as I rounded a corner, I found myself standing in a little corral, cluttered with little nests and cucco feathers. Quickly realizing I was trespassing, I turned to make a run for it, but just before I made my escape, "Excuse me, miss," came a voice from behind.

I whirled around in a fright, my boot catching the edge of a hole, and down I went, taking the eggs I'd collected with me, and with a tell-all crunch, I knew I was in trouble. Mortified, I jumped back to my feet, my smock now heavy and yellow with egg yolk, I sputtered an apology, "I-I'm _so_ sorry! I didn't know there was a house here! I found those eggs in the grass- Oh, but I guess it doesn't really matter now..." I groaned, harrumphing over my now filthy smock, "I'm really sorry, sir. I squashed all those eggs. I really didn't know they belonged to your cuccos."

There, a dark skinned man with a great round head of curly hair, complete with a bird's nest, stood at the coop, cradling a brown cucco, looking surprised, but with a hint of a smile playing on his lips, "Well, miss," he said approaching me, "why don't we start with a name? I'm Coro, I look after these cuccos and sell lantern oil. Not much of a business, but it gets me by. And you are?" He asked in a kindly voice, offering his rough hand to me.

I accepted the gesture and was brought to my feet, quickly righting my hair and slipping the smock over my head, I almost meekly replied, "I'm Ilia, from Ordon."

Coro's smile was as genuine as his voice, and he said, "Well then, Ilia, why don't we get that smock washed up and we'll figure out what to do about those eggs, alright?" I nodded and followed him inside, "You wait in here, miss, I'll be right back with some water for your clothes. Make yourself comfortable, and please help yourself to some fruit," he said gesturing to a hefty wooden table with a small bowl of fruit perched on top. With that, he shut the door behind him. I meandered about the room for a minute, peeking here and poking there, before taking a seat at the table and lazily popping a grape into my mouth.

Coro returned with an armful of laundry supplies: two basins, one full of cold water, the other had a bottle of yellow liquid in it, and a washboard. He uncorked the bottle of liquid and snatched up my smock, dumping them both into the empty pail. I raised a brow and made a bit of a face at the smell, but brushed it off as he began scrubbing away, turning back to me, "So, miss, let's just make this easy: Either you can pay me for the eggs, or you can do a little work, and earn yourself a reward."

Not thinking about it more than an instant, I patted myself down in search of my wallet, "I'll pay for them, of course! Just let me- let me find my wallet..." I stuttered for a moment, confusion lacing my voice more and more for every second the rupees weren't in my hand. Suddenly clapping a hand to my forehead, I grumbled aloud, "Oh Gods, I just remembered. I left my wallet back at camp." I glanced up to Coro through my fingers, who just looked back sympathetically, so with a sigh, I said, "I guess I'll have to work for them." A bit of me wanted to admit, too, that seeing Link in such a bad way only added to the horrible feeling of guilt I still had hanging over my head. It sounded like a better idea to simply do some chores and avoid Link for now.

Coro smiled, "Well, miss, I'm glad to have some company while I finish the chores, then."

He was so happy, it felt almost like it was infectious, because I smiled back, a little unnaturally.

"So," Coro began, "since we know you shouldn't handle anything delicate," I grimaced a little, feeling foolish, "let's have you do something easy. They were just a few eggs, anyhow."

Nodding halfheartedly in agreement, for the next half hour, I cleaned out the coop while Coro collected the eggs, I scattered the feed and watched as the fat cuccos waddled and bobbed to and fro, pecking at the ground for their morning meal, and I helped Coro collect some kindling for later tonight. They were easy tasks, but without a proper breakfast, they were that much more exhausting. Just as I finished sweeping out the corral, Coro called me inside and thanked me for the work I'd done.

"That's it?" I asked, surprised.

"That's it." He answered, drawing my smock from the yellow liquid and setting it in the cold water basin.

"So, what now?"

"Well, miss," he said, tapping his chin, "I was thinking we could sit, have some breakfast and tea, then I could give you your reward and send you on your way."

I clapped my hands together, a little too overjoyed. I guess I was lucky for a third time today. "That'd be wonderful. You see, I actually have someone waiting back at camp for me."

His ears perked a bit, and he asked with concern, "Waiting? Are you sure they can wait?"

I nodded again, "Yes, I'm sure, he was sleeping when I left, and it hasn't been too long, so he's probably still sleeping, otherwise he'd be out hunting for me right now."

"Well then, miss," he paused to wring out the smock, "let's have some breakfast." He hung up my apron to dry and set out to make breakfast.

It didn't take him long to cook, so within minutes there were several plates adorning the table, one of bread and butter, one of boiled eggs, and one of cherry tomatoes and grapes, with a pot of tea to top it off. We dished our own plates and ate in relative silence. Well, _I_ ate in relative silence, Coro talked about a league a minute, rattling off topic after topic. So engrossed by my food, I simply nodded and listened; sometimes, it was nice to have someone else keep up the conversation.

"So, miss, you said _he_ is waiting for you back at camp. By 'he', do you mean your partner?"

I looked up over the rim of my cup in question, "Partner?"

"Lover."

I nearly spit my tea all over the table, "L-_Lover?!_"

He looked taken aback, "Well, yes, miss. Did I say something wrong?"

I straightened myself and cleared my throat, "W-Well, he's just a friend. In fact, he's much like my brother. My mother dragged him home years and years ago. He'd been living at some run down campsite since he was only four, and he met us when he was nine, so he'd been alone for five whole years."

"Hm," Coro replied shortly, tapping his chin in thought, "He must be really amazing then, huh, miss? For surviving all those years on his own." He said, grinning.

I sat up straight, raising my eyebrows and lightly setting my teacup down. I hadn't really thought about it until then, but Link _was_ pretty amazing, if that's the word you wanted to use. He was heroic, kind, hard working... With a bit of a wayward sigh, I snapped back to reality and brought the cup back to my lips with a cocked brow, sputtering out some half embarrassed nonsense, "I-I suppose so. He's good to have around when you can't get something off the top shelf, that's for sure."

Coro laughed heartily, slapping his hand on the table. When his giggling trailed off, he asked, "Well, if the two of you are so close, why isn't he with you now?"

Caught off guard, I put my tea down again and fiddled with my skirt, "Well, you see, something happened last night..."

His eyes went a bit wide for a moment, and a dash of pink scattered over his face with a big dopey smile, "Oh, I see!" He cooed, clapping his hands over his cheeks in mocked embarrassment.

It was my turn for my eyes to go wide; flying out of my chair and with a cherry red face, I threw an accusing finger in Coro's direction and bellowed, "Not that kind of something, you pervert!"

He held up his hands in defense and laughed, "Of course not, miss, I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself..."

Feeling a bit foolish, I gathered myself, took my seat and explained the events of last night in detail, about my getting lost, about the paralysis, about the bear, "So, you see, because of him doing what he normally does and leaping in to save the day, it nearly cost him his life, and somehow, through all of that mess, I feel responsible." I fidgeted in my seat, expecting some kind of alleviation from this tangible guilt. Someone _had_ to understand that I just wasn't in the wrong.

Coro looked contemplative again, scratching his rough beard, "Well, if you want my honest opinion-"

I quickly nodded my head in agreement.

"Alright, well, because of the nature of the situation, if you're feeling responsible, it's probably because you _are_ responsible."

The expression on my face had suddenly gone completely dead pan.

I... was wrong?

Coro waved a hand in front of my face, "Miss? Are you alright?"

I slammed my hands onto the table, forcing my chair to topple over, shaking my head in denial, "What are you talking about, Coro?" I began with a whisper, looking up at him, an expression of averment on my face, "This wasn't my doing... It— It... _It wasn't my fault!_"

A loud crash announced itself from the front door, and a healthy beam of sunlight came pouring in. For a moment, I thought maybe my outburst had broken down a wall of Coro's house, until I looked up, "Li—?"

"_Ilia!_" Link shouted hoarsely, ripping his sword out of its sheath with his right hand and shakily readying it. It took him just a moment to absorb the situation, and then his eyes fell on Coro, who leaped up from his seat, arms wide open, "Link! My old, silent friend!"

Link sighed with a bit of a relieved smile on his face and sheathes his sword, the much shorter Coro clambering to him and engulfing him in a suffocating hug, "Or should I say 'my old, near-silent friend!' Ilia here was simply helping me with some chores! How kind of her, right, guy?"

Link responded with a simple, yet kind smile and patted Coro's shoulder.

"Come, come!" Coro gestured, "Sit down, have some breakfast, have some tea, we have so much catching up to do! Ilia, why didn't you tell me your companion was Link?"

Still frozen, either out of shock or embarrassment, I couldn't make my body respond.

Coro continued fawning over Link, gingerly touching his bandaged left arm when he noticed it was bound, "Oh, your arm! Whatever happened to you, I wonder. Well, let's get you fed and we'll get that arm fixed, alright, guy?"

His incessant chattering had trailed off and my mind wandered as a bit of pink flooded my cheeks. A little embarrassed by my childish gush, I righted my chair, took a seat, and stealthily tried to catch a few glimpses at Link, who seemed preoccupied with Coro's bustling about. His hair was totally unkempt, and it looked like he had made no attempt to straighten it, his eyes had big, dark circles underneath them, his skin was pale and sallow, and his bandages were new, but still sloppily wrapped. He was a mess, and I, admittedly, was a little worried about him, although my head betrayed my heart and my thoughts floated back to what Coro had said; could it really have been my fault that Link had gotten hurt? With a long sigh, I propped myself up on my elbows and watched the little cucco man scurry about the kitchen.

After Link had more poked at his food than eaten it, and what felt like hours of one sided conversation, Coro decided it was time to deal with Link's arm, "Can't have it hanging loose like that forever, can we, guy?" He chuckled and Link just forced a saddened smile.

He knew it was going to hurt.

I, of course, was oblivious to how one goes about setting a dislocated shoulder.

Coro examined Link's whole arm, gently pressing his thumb into the sunken skin on his shoulder, to which Link's reaction was painful to watch. He sucked in a sharp hiss through his teeth, just like he had earlier that morning when I touched his forearm, pressing his perspiring forehead against his hand, propping himself up unsteadily on one elbow.

I cringed a little, and Coro must've noticed.

"Miss, are you sure you want to watch this? It may be a bit... disturbing."

Just as I was about to answer, Link waved his free hand in disagreement, and gestured out the door, all the while, hiding his face from my view. He didn't want me to see, and part of me didn't blame him. Without argument, I quietly and obediently walked out the front door, and leaned my back against it. No sooner had I shut the door did I hear a series of pops and cracks, followed by Link's agonized scream and a several thunderous bangs as he pounded his fist against the table in immense pain.

My face nearly fell off in a mixture of shock and terror. I clapped my hands over my ears and slid to the ground, muttering to myself, "This isn't my fault, this isn't my fault, this isn't my fault..."

OoOoO

Eventually, Coro sent us on our way with a few groceries: a dozen hard boiled eggs, two loaves of bread, a bottle of milk, a bag of tea leaves, some herbs and spices, a few medicines, and new bandages for Link. The trip back was short, thankfully, but the whole way there, my mind couldn't settle on what I should look at to avoid looking at Link; the ground, my boots, my freshly cleaned smock, they all looked so interesting, and none of them were mad at me.

When we arrived back at camp, as genuinely as I could, I smiled and offered to take the supplies Link was carrying, "I'll take these and get them put them in our packs, just go sit down, alright?" I hurried the items away from him and packed them, only to whip around to face Link again, who just stared at me, his face unchanged from totally emotionless.

I swallowed hard, almost nervously. This wasn't the Link I was used to, "What?" I sputtered finally.

He simply shook his head, turning away and plopped down onto his furs.

Embarrassed, I turned back to the packs and clasped them off, picking up the water skin and murmuring something about offering to refill it. I didn't bother listening to see if he wanted any or not, I just wanted to escape the awkwardness that had settled like dust around us, even if just for a moment. The guilt of the entire day was beginning to weigh heavily on me, and I felt like I was wearing it as a suit of armor. I didn't stop to think how Link might be feeling, because he was to blame for this disaster anyway.

_'Then why do I feel so horrible?'_ I thought to myself, returning with the water and setting it down next to Link; he laid very still atop his furs, eyes closed and a bit of sweat forming on his furrowed brow. Swallowing my pride, which was a bigger mouthful than I would've liked to admit, I figured now would be the best time to muster up some kind of an apology.

I took a seat next to Link, and lightly coughed, dipping a soft cloth into the bowl of cool water by his bed. His eyes opened, looking the tiniest bit surprised, as though he didn't hear me sit down. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks and ears again, so my eyes wandered to one side, "L-Listen, Link... I know you're probably mad about last night," I began, daring a glance back to Link, who remained completely unfazed, his face expressionless, "and I just wanted to... say... I'm..." I trailed off, trying to continue, but my throat slowly started closing off as I neared the word 'sorry'. My face was growing ever hotter, and my hands slightly trembled. In a panic, I threw the sopping wet towel at Link, which collided with his face, stood up, and almost mechanically spouted off my half baked sentence, "I'm cooking supper tonight!"

Leaving it at that, I snatched up my pack and trounced off, leaving behind an even more confused Link.

OoOoO

Heading south, I shuffled through the light foliage, half deciding to collect more herbs since my calendula flowers had been ruined, and half eluding my apology to Link. With another long sigh, it was apparent that now wasn't the time for atonement; I needed to get my thoughts together before I did something I might later come to regret. Attempting to void myself of my guilty conscience, I viciously shook my head, but to no avail; my stubborn mind was clouded with scattered memories of my participation in Link's injuries, and I wore the shame all over my face.

"Dear Gods," I complained aloud, cradling my sorry head in my hands, "what if... what if Coro was right?" I wondered aloud, "If I hadn't wandered off, if I had just eaten the stupid soup, if I had just _listened_..." I turned to glance tentatively over my shoulder back toward camp, "then Link wouldn't be hurt... Maybe—maybe it really _is_ my fault."

I shuddered at the thought, throwing the idea from my head and tried focusing on the path, but alas, my mind wandered back to Link who, when I saw him for the first time this morning, looked rough, to say the least. His skin was faded and grayed, usual smile was gone, and replaced with a crooked frown. My own frown, unbelievably sagged even further at the thought.

Groaning the whole way, I eventually came upon the herbs I was looking for and plucked up a few, "This would go well in a stew," I noted, attempting to keep myself occupied with lighter thoughts. As I picked and pondered, a soft whine echoed through the forest somewhere off in the distance. My ears pricked up and I quickly scanned the area around me to find no one. Recognizing the area from last night, however, I stupidly decided to follow the whimpering, stumbling wildly through the brush and throwing branches and leaves out of my path until I tumbled into a familiar glade. My eyes darted to and fro and I clambered to get on my feet; the alcove in the cliff side, the disturbed duskberry branches, the scuff marks of boots all over the ground, it was clear that this was where Link found me the night before. I choked down a gasp when another quieted cry resonated through the grove, much closer than before. When my gaze followed the weeping, falling to the ground to my left, just at the mouth of the cave was the ragged body of the bear Link slew. I made a disgusted face and turned on my heel to leave, but the reverberation of the light yowling rang in my ears, closer than ever. With wide eyes, I slowly forced myself to turn around, but quickly wished more than anything that I hadn't. There, lying in mourning around the decaying corpse, were two tiny bear cubs, crying for their lost mother. They pathetically nudged her unmoving body with their innocent noses, cooing for her to wake up. My heart leaped into my throat, my eyes filled with tears and threatened to spill over, and I clapped my hands over my mouth, coughing out a small sob. Their heads turned to face me with saddened eyes, each letting out a small cry, moaning longingly for help. My hands shook and my eyes flooded with tears, running down my the backs of my hands and trickling between my fingers; desperately trying to hold it back, another tiny gasp escaped my lips and I quickly wiped my eyes, fleeing back into the woods, unable to take anymore. Sob after sob erupted from my chest as I ran, and I gulped down each exhausted breath, tears now falling freely down my cheeks, welling in my eyes and obscuring my sight.

"This isn't my fault... This isn't my fault!" I cried aloud as I ran, "This isn't my fault."

OoOoO

I stopped at a river bank somewhere between the glade and camp, hugging my knees tightly to my chest, succumbing completely to my guilt and bawled out heave after body shaking heave. I must've cried longer than I thought, because when I bothered lifting my head again, the sun was just beginning to creep down over the hills and I left Link in the early afternoon. With a pathetic hiccup, I reluctantly dragged my grief stricken self to the river's edge and peered hopelessly at my reflection.

I was almost unrecognizable.

My eyes would've gone wide had they not been so puffy. It was beyond obvious I had been crying; my cheeks were flushed, my nose was dripping, I was no short of a total mess. Sighing, I plopped my bottom down into the soft sand, pulled a handkerchief from my pack and dipped it into the water, wiping the long, filthy streaks off my cheeks and dabbed my eyes dry. Quickly splashing my face and powdering my nose, I shook the last of my sadness out of me, and continued back toward camp. Taking my time, I ambled around the shore, plucked a few blades of sugargrass for the soup and jotted them down in my guide. Anything I could do to cushion the blow from Link, I was willing to do. It wasn't long before the sun threatened to dive over the edge of the hills for the night, so with yet another sigh, I hoisted up my pack and hurried my way back to camp.

When I stepped into the small opening, I tried hiding my face as naturally as possible, almost strafing into camp, hoping Link had laid down again and wouldn't notice I was there. My hopes were dashed, however, when I heard a light patting and rustling sound coming from Link's bed. Cringing, I slowly glanced up and watched him toss a ball of twine into the air and catch it with his good arm, a glacial, distant look still on his face. With my lips tightly pursed, I casually set my pack on the ground next to his and began getting supper prepared. I boiled some chopped potatoes and carrots, added the herbs I picked, and a splash of the milk Coro had given us, and tasted the light soup.

"I-It's finished," I mumbled, daring a glimpse up at Link.

He didn't respond, and just continued to throw the ball into the air.

My eyes fell awkwardly to my side, doing anything to avoid looking at Link but still trying to remain aloof and undaunted. As I fidgeted weirdly in my cloud of uncomfortableness, he didn't stop playing with the ball the entire time I readied our meal, and his expression hadn't changed much, either. Pulling a loaf of bread in half, I handed Link his bowl and returned to my furs, quietly eating my suddenly really interesting stew. Facing him, I peeked up at Link through my eyelashes every once in a while, but his demeanor hadn't budged, he just kept playing catch with that stupid ball of twine. It was beginning to annoy me until it caught the ends of his fingers and he fumbled it. Without thinking, he lurched out to catch it with both arms, and with a pained grunt, rolled back onto his back and clutched his hurt arm, roughly clenching his teeth. His breathing picked up, his eyes tightly squeezed shut, I could just watch uselessly from across the fire as his chest heaved in excruciation. When the pain subsided, and without looking my direction, Link began groping the dirt for his twine ball. I stood up and grabbed it, placing it into his open palm, and still, he wouldn't look at me, but that's when I noticed the dark red spot slowly seeping onto the clean bandages.

"Link..." I began, this time, actually drawing his attention. Fetching the kit, I took a seat on his left side and asked sheepishly, "Can you lift your arm?"

Pursing his lips and with a short grunt, he managed to lift his elbow up and onto my lap, his breathing picking up again as it pained him to move it at all.

Carefully removing the sling and bloody bandages, I suddenly struggled to stifle a gasp. It was the first time I'd actually laid eyes on it, but it was worse than could've imagined. The puncture wounds were deep, wrapping all the way around his forearm near his elbow, and blood was dripping from the worst of them. My eyes started to well with tears again and my stomach churned a bit, but I quickly managed to swallow them back and get a grasp on myself. I dabbed a clean, moist cloth around the puckered marks on his forearm, each with its very own yellowing bruise. The cold from the river water must have felt nice, because his heavy panting wavered and he seemed to unclench his entire body, even if just a little. I gingerly cradled the back of his upper arm, repositioning it so I could rotate his forearm freely without moving his injured shoulder. Splashing generous amounts of vinegar on the bite sent Link's eyes flying open and he quickly turned his head away, gasping and viciously gripping a fistful of his furs. Hurriedly, I wrapped the cleaned bite with new bandages, and pressed a clean, cool towel against Link's forehead, gently dabbing down the left side of his face.

For a moment, I caught my eyes loitering just a little longer than I knew they should and gave myself a mental slap. I looked away, a light pink forming on my cheeks, but against the control of my body and better wishes of my brain, I stole another peek, taking my time with each lavish sway of my gaze, drinking in an image of Link I had never seen before.

It seemed high time that my heart betrayed my head for once.

My hand lingered on the thick, sinewy muscle of his neck and collarbone as I lazily traced the handkerchief along the length of his jawbone. I could feel a bit of an intoxicated sweat beading on the back of my neck as I began to lose myself in the moment.

_'Boy, this cloth is thin,'_ I thought as my hand brushed over the curve of his neck, dipping down to meet his shoulder. By this point, I knew I was ogling, hell, I was practically groping, but something inside me told me to indulge, no matter how wrong it felt at the time. The pronounced musculature of his jawbone that feathered down his neck to his chest, loosely covered by the crisscrossing threads of his tunic made me swallow a bit harder than I would've liked to admit. His exposed skin was wrought with scars, small nicks and scratches, forever engraved into him. My heart fluttered fervently in my breast like a bird in a cage and my eyes flicked up to Link's face, which was still turned away and his breathing was level. I dared go even further, slowly slipping the edge of the cloth onto his collarbone and barely into the hem of his shirt. _'Just a little bit more...'_ I kept promising, just a little more would satisfy my curiosity. I pressed farther, sliding my hand into the collar of his tunic, my fingertips lightly playing over the end of the cloth and brushing against the smooth skin of his chest. My lips just barely parted as I dared another glance up at Link, and... "Oh Gods, Link!" I shouted, ripping my hands away from him faster than I've ever moved in my life. His indifferent eyes searched mine, and I could feel my face filling with blush, "I-I was just staring—wiping! Wiping your face, you looked hot—_uncomfortable!_" I stumbled hopelessly over the only real sentence I'd blurted to Link all day. In one movement, I stood, red faced, and almost hovered away toward the river, mumbling something about bed time. As I made my escape, I thought I heard Link laugh.

XxXxX

I heard the beginning of a shocked gasp from her that was quickly cut short, and for a moment, I was a little surprised. It hadn't occurred to me that Ilia had never seen a wound worse than a scratch or a bee sting and a part of me wanted to laugh. I'd had much worse, so I guess I just should've counted myself lucky that she hadn't been there to see _those_.

Didn't want her passing out on me.

Unfortunately for me, however, she might've had to worry about _me _losing consciousness, because as she fumbled with cleaning the bite, roughly wiping the tender skin, I jerked my head to the side, my eyes went wide and I mouthed a scream, only to snap them both shut, a rumbling growl roiling in my chest as I tried not to let my body tense up. Her clumsiness must've been due to her squeamishness of the wound, considering it was so unlike her to be a klutz in the first place. Sort of lost in the moment of her hurriedly getting the hard part over with, I almost cracked a smile. When the vinegar rushed into the bite marks, however, any intention of smiling was almost literally washed away. I gritted my teeth, and my breathing intensified beyond my control, but I desperately fought it back, not wanting her to see the pain I was in.

I knew some part of her was hurting and feeling guilty, and my making a scene would only worsen matters. I had known Ilia long enough to know she was on the verge of clamming up, and had been all day. Once she bit her tongue, it was almost impossible to get her to open up again, and that was the _last _thing I wanted if I planned on straightening her out about the night before. I had to be on my guard if I didn't want to push her over the edge. That, and my energy was almost completely gone from focusing it all on healing my wounds, which was always fun, so even if I wanted to fight with her, I didn't have the will to. She rushed to replace my bandages and did a shoddy job, but hey, I was just thankful that she was trying to help me out and not yelling at me.

Just when I thought the whole ordeal was over, I felt a cold rag being pressed upon my forehead, and the very corners of my lips turned up in a smile. My skin had begun to get sticky with sweat from the sudden bouts of pain and I had a visible sheen of perspiration all over my body; all I could think was how badly I wanted a bath. Suddenly, though, the cloth started to travel south, her hand almost caressing my neck and shoulder. My brow furrowed a bit in confusion, but it felt nice and cool, and I wasn't one to argue. The handkerchief moved back up and lightly traced my jawline up to my ear lobe, I felt Ilia's delicate fingertip through the wet fabric and had to fight back a shudder of pleasure. By this point, I was totally confused. I wondered if she was feeling obligated to give me some relief, but that would mean she was taking responsibility for her actions, which was not Ilia at all. Her small hand dragged the cloth back down my neck and she curved her fingers to meet the depth to which the muscles of my shoulder dipped. I was starting to feel a little ashamed for not stopping her.

She added to the tension when her clothed fingers tentatively dove beneath the hem of my tunic, now studying the shape of my collarbone. A half disguised moan rumbled in my throat as a sigh, followed by a bit of pink on my ears and nose.

I was shamelessly enjoying this too much.

It didn't take long for her hand to discover what was hidden further inside my tunic, and I swear, I felt the tips of her fingers push over the edge of the cloth and unabashedly stroke the skin of my chest. Nervously, with my heart beating way up into my throat, my eyes finally flicked open and I turned my head to look at her, a look of total bewilderment on my face. I watched her fawn over me for another moment or two before catching a glimpse of my gaze that met hers, to which her response was to shout, "Oh Gods, Link!" in a panic and basically fly away. She jerked her hands aside and we stared at each other, her face flush, babbling some nonsense, "I-I was just staring—wiping! Wiping your face, you looked hot—_uncomfortable!_"

Then she took her awkward leave toward the river bed.

I felt so ridiculous, that all I could do was let out a chuckle. I tied on my sling and tried to get a hold of myself, standing up and giving my head a scratch, a bit of a nervous blush still on the tips of my ears. All kinds of ideas on the matter rattled about in my brain as I tried to conceive just one that made any lick of sense. With a sigh, I shook my head and just assumed this was to be one of the many mysteries surrounding Ilia. I slipped on my boots and followed her to the river.

I felt guilty, knowing what I was about to do, dragging Ilia's most vulnerable part of her out in the open and making her admit to her mistakes. She wouldn't last without completely imploding in on herself and it was my job to make sure the forest survived the night. I sighed a little harder than I should've and met her by the river's edge.

She had kicked off her boots and was wiggling her toes into the sandy shore, the water lapping over her dainty feet, smoothing out the reddish clay so that it conformed to her skin. I took a contemplative seat beside her and ran my fingers tentatively through my hair, my calloused hand coming to rest on the back of my head. She glanced up at me, a hint of surprise on her face, as though she hadn't expected me to follow. I watched her fiddle in silence for a minute or two before I opened my mouth to begin.

With a sigh and still a bit flush, Ilia began indignantly, "This is about last night, right?"

My mouth snapped shut and my stare turned to her, a jolt of consternation on my face.

She shifted her hips to pull her feet from the water and looked angrily into the river, spitting each acidic word in my direction, like a scolded child being forced to apologize, "I know what you're going to say, Link..."

Naturally, I was a little skeptical that she really grasped her wrong-doings here. This wasn't the first time I felt the need to drill the idea into her head before it finally clicked. Ilia was the definition of hard headed.

"If I had paid attention to the guide, eaten the soup, not wandered off... If I had _listened_ to you, you wouldn't be hurt and all that," she turned her face away from me. I raised a brow, on the verge of being pleasantly surprised; maybe it actually _was_ clicking, but if she thought this was all about me getting injured, she was more wrong than she thought. I felt all I could do was stare at her through hurt and bewildered eyes, hoping she'd know me better than that. Her next words, however, changed my mind entirely and were beyond redemption as they effortlessly tumbled from her lips like a practiced song, "if this is all about your ego," she mumbled through pursed lips, "then I don't want to hear it..."

My back went rigid and it was almost as though I actually heard something snap. Drawing in a deep breath, I quietly, but quickly, stood and turned to leave with my teeth clenched and my fists balled up tight. I needed to get away from her before I did something I might regret.

"Link, where are you going?" Ilia snapped, scrambling after me. "We're not done here," she said petulantly, the tone of her voice all but admitting she thought I was in the wrong, "I knew it! This _was_ about your stupid ego. Link, if you'd only—!"

"Shut _up_, Ilia!" I shouted, whirling around and jamming an accusatory finger into her face.

She instantly clammed up, the look on her face melting into shock.

"Link, I—!"

"No, Ilia! Just... Enough, alright?! No more appearances! Don't you understand the damage you've done?!"

I was quickly beginning to lose control of myself, encroaching in on Ilia like a cat on a mouse, looming over her small frame, my expression shone transparently the dark burning of resentment radiating throughout my whole body.

"No, Link...Wait, I—!"

"This has absolutely _nothing_ to do with my _ego_, you silly girl! It has _everything_ to do with pointlessly taking the life of another, and a mother at that!"

"L-Link," she stammered, her back bumping the mountain's face, "it was just a bear..."

"_Ilia!_" I roared, slamming my fist into the rock, sending a thunderous wave echoing into the air, a few stray pebbles tumbling down the rock face.

Her lips snapped closed again in a panic, and I could see the slight start of a tremble beginning to rattle her.

My voice lowered sullenly, the throbbing ache of ire slowly residing, settling like dust in the bottom of my belly, as though my heart grew slightly colder just recalling it and I lowered myself to Ilia's level, darkly whispering into her ear.

"Don't you see? It was three, Ilia. I didn't just have to kill one, I had to kill three. That mother bear had two babies, who I know you saw, Ilia... You _saw_..." I nearly stumbled over the last few words, a lump forming in my throat as I brought my eyes up, throwing a sharp glare directly into hers, daring her to deny it. She quickly averted her gaze, but I swallowed hard, and forced her to look at me, roughly grabbing her chin so her eyes met mine. I searched her for an ounce of remorse, or shame. She had gotten away with the spoiled brat routine for far too long, never been forced to pay for her mistakes, never been made to take responsibility. Ilia was going to feel every ounce of what I felt when I was driven to kill for her sake.

"Listen to me, Ilia," I began again, not letting her escape my grasp, "Do you know what it's like to kill without reason?"

She sheepishly quivered beneath my hand with no response.

I knew I'd scared her, but I continued unabated, "When I struck that final blow, sank the blade of my sword into the chest of that mother bear, I felt the warmth of her life leaving her body..." I paused, the lump in my throat returning with a vengeance, "It's awful, Ilia. It's a waste to kill something the way I did..."

The quaking had slowly subsided, and Ilia's eyes had begun to brim with tears.

Now my hands began to visibly shake, I was so furious. Again she was pulling this act on me, so I persisted unrelentingly through gritted teeth, "So, because of that... and because of _this_," I barked, gesturing violently to my injured left arm, "I'm useless! Don't you see that?!" I begged the question, throwing my free hand up in defeat, "I'm useless to you, your father, Ordon... Without my left arm, I can't protect you! _I can't protect you!_"

A tiny hiccup came from beneath me and I froze.

Surprised, I almost didn't believe it, but she was downright sobbing. My surprise quickly morphed into shock as my eyes followed suit, going a little wide and I took a step back, my arm falling loosely to my side. It had literally been years since I last saw Ilia cry so genuinely.

Maybe I actually got through to her.

Calming myself, I lightly pressed my free hand against her shoulder, and lowered my face to meet hers.

"Now," I clarified, wiping her cheek with my thumb, "I did what I had to do in order to protect you. I know that, and you should know that... It's how I can justify it, but if you go to sleep tonight understanding anything, it's this: I _hate_ killing frivolously. I'm a warrior, Ilia, not a murderer."

Her crying wavered and she looked up at me through damp eyes, her gaze flitting to my injured arm for an instant and her brow turned up in concern.

Glancing down at it, I shook my head, "Trust me, Ilia, this is nothing. I'll heal up within a day or so, and be right as rain," I gently flicked her nose with a smile, turning around and rubbing my neck, "For a minute there, you had me thinking that you were all worked up about me!"

"I _am_ upset about it, Link!"

I stopped and glanced over my shoulder at Ilia, who was suddenly alight with a bright energy, though tears began to form in her eyes again as she shook her tightly balled fists with every word, "I am upset... About the baby bears, about you getting hurt... It—it was all my fault!" She finished climactically, now lost entirely in her sobs, and anything past that, I had a difficult time understanding.

It was my turn to be startled, "I-Ilia! Come on, now..." I chided, awkwardly patting her shoulder, but to no avail. Sob after sob continued unabated. With a wry sigh and a smile, I wrapped my free arm around her shoulders and held her to my chest, which instantly quieted her. Placing my chin atop her head, I softly said, "There's no need to be so troubled. The point is, you understand that you made a mistake, and now that you know, it's your responsibility to follow through with learning from it. It's not so bad when you have someone there to support you from either end, good or bad."

She lightly sniffled in response.

"This time just happened to be bad, but it won't always be." I promised, a bit sarcastically.

Taking to my embrace, she buried her face in my neck and mumbled, "I'm so sorry, Link."

I chuckled, "I know you are." With us still held in each others grasp, my mind inevitably wandered back to Ilia's strange treasure hunt no more than a quarter hour before. My face got hot and I released her a little too quickly to be natural, nervously scratching my neck, "It'll be dark soon. We should head back to camp."

She blinked in bewilderment a time or two, and I watched as her cheeks lit up with blush and she turned away, lightly brushing her fingers beneath her eyes, "Y-Yes, I suppose we should."

She ran back to the shore, and I took the opportunity while she couldn't see my face to say, "You should also know... If there ever comes a time when I have to choose who to save, I'll always choose you."

And I quickly made my way back to camp.

XxXxX

As I skipped to the river's edge for my boots, feeling infinitely lighter from the guilt gushing out of me, I heard Link stop and mumble, "You should also know... If there ever comes a time when I have to choose who to save, I'll always choose you."

And my face got hot.


End file.
